By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Silver Lake Farms in Silver Lake, California, a small urban cutflower farm that sold to local farmers' markets, has been on my list of places to visit for some time now.  If nothing else to indulge one of my fantasies.  In another life or an alternate universe maybe it's a profession I would have pursued. Up to my elbows in sweetpeas in the spring and zinnias in the fall.  Lovely thought, no?  

Turns out growing cutflowers is considerably more complicated than I thought.  Especially in cities.  Or at least it is in L.A.

Here's what happened to Silver Lake Farms. 

In March of this year, the owner, Tara Kolla, shown here with some of her harvest, was ordered to cease growing cutflowers in her sixth, and best, year in the business.  It seems technically she was in violation of a 1946 Los Angeles Municipal Code known as the Truck Gardening Ordinance. 

The Ordinance seems well-intentioned -- to allow the growing of vegetables in residential zones for sale off-site.  But the Ordinance is being interpreted to exclude growing anything but vegetables for sale -- including fruit, nuts, flowers, and seedlings.

Kolla isn't about to give up farming -- she has switched from flowers to vegetables and has partnered with another larger farm to offer a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. She also still offers garden design and consultation services.  See her website to see what else she's up to.

But Kolla is not accepting the status quo either.  She and some like-minded urban farmers have formed an organization called Urban Farming Advocates.  Their aim is to challenge regulations like the Truck Gardening Ordinance that restrict use of residential land for agriculture.

They already have LA Councilman Eric Garcetti on their side.  He introduced a motion to explore changing the Truck Gardening Ordinance in July.  (The Urban Farming Advocates have given this attempt the unofficial moniker "The Food & Flowers Freedom Act."). But the motion has a long way to go before any laws are changed.

If  you would like the opportunity to buy flowers like the ones shown in Kolla's hand--sweetpeas, clarkia, godetia, `Bunny Tails' grass heads--things you don't find at every supermarket and that you know have been grown without chemicals--you might want to make your voice heard. Or if you would like to be able to buy a homeowners' macadamia crop, excess kumquats, pineapple guavas, chayote squash, eggs, or honey.  Or their divided bearded iris or agave offsets, etc, etc.  You get the idea.

Go to this link to find the name of your local councilmember. For some suggested wording, see Urban Farming Advocates.