Canadian gardener challenges his city’s ‘outdated’ weed-whacking ways

“To me, a lawn is just a sterile monoculture that is basically a dead zone,” said Wolf Ruck. “The neighbours can do what they want, but they’re looking at a sterile piece of green. It could be asphalt painted green and it would look the same.”

By contrast, nature has been given free rein in the yard surrounding Ruck’s home in Mississauga, Ontario, creating a vibrant slice of suburban wilderness that literally buzzes with life.

Its tall grasses and native flowers have become a haven for bees, butterflies, voles and chipmunks. A family of rabbits have taken up residence. Deer and coyote pass through on occasion.

Not everyone, however, shares his enthusiasm: Ruck’s hands-off approach has landed him in hot water with local authorities – and now he’s meeting them in court for his right to rewild.

“Your private property is one of the areas where you can have some kind of an effect to counter biodiversity loss and global warming,” he said. “Nature knows best, right? Everything that mankind does in terms of forcing nature tends to end up causing major problems.”

It was around four years ago that Ruck began gifting his garden back to the wild. He planted milkweed, grew Canada goldenrod and scattered seeds foraged from local parks and scrubland.

“I just wanted to see what would happen if you let it evolve naturally,” he said. “It’s a source of constant enjoyment when I sit out front and look at the tall grass blowing in the wind. At sunset, the colours are beautiful. It’s alive.”

An anonymous neighbour complaint brought enforcement officers knocking in 2022, claiming Ruck’s oasis contravenes city bylaws that govern the control of ‘nuisance’ weeds, and ban landowners from growing grasses taller than 20cm.

On that occasion, Ruck negotiated something of a compromise by agreeing to cut back some of the tall grass himself. A year later, however, enforcement officers returned – and this time set to work with strimmers. “I was helpless,” Ruck recalls. “By the time they’d finished, it looked like a disaster zone.”

The strimmers were back again last year, and Ruck took his case to Ontario’s superior court of justice, arguing that the city’s bylaws breach his constitutional right to freedom of expression, and suggesting the legislation has been applied arbitrarily.

“For example, there are 1,200 different types of grasses. The legislation doesn’t specify which ones should be cut,” he said.

My garden is a source of constant enjoyment. At sunset, the colours are beautiful. It’s alive

Ruck lost his case and has been landed with a C$7,000 (£3,930) bill for Mississauga’s legal fees and enforcement costs. He has since lodged an appeal and launched a petition calling for Mississauga’s weed control bylaws to be rescinded.

A spokesperson from the City of Mississauga told Positive News: “Mr Ruck has raised his claims with respect to the city’s nuisance weed and tall grass control by-law (by-law 0125-2017) in court. 

“Justice LeMay dismissed his application and found that the city’s by-law does not violate the charter of rights and freedoms. Mr Ruck is now appealing that decision to the court of appeal. Because this matter is before the courts, the city does not have any further comment at this time.”

“We have so little control over the way things are trending in the world today – at least I have the satisfaction of knowing my garden is within my control,” said Ruck, summing up his approach. “I’m just trying to do my best.”

Main image: Lorraine Johnson