New Castle County, DE Invasive Plant Rules: Front Yard Gardens (2026)

New Castle County's Property Maintenance Code lets homeowners plant pollinator gardens and rain gardens in front yards, but caps them at 25% of the street-yard area (50% in rear yards), requires a 10-foot street-yard setback and edging to mark the bed, and bars any "Plants to Avoid" species from Chapter 40's Appendix 3. A garden can exceed the coverage cap only if the Delaware Nature Society certifies it as pollinator-benefiting. Turf over 8 inches doesn't count as a pollinator garden, and rain gardens must drain within 72 hours of a storm. This rule sits in the code's weed-height section, so it doubles as the exception that lets these gardens grow tall without violating the general 8-inch weed limit.