Tyrannical gardening-obsessed shaming neighbors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. A classic phone conversation with her went like this: (I swear to god I’m not making this up)

Obsessed neighbor: I’m just calling to discuss your grass experience with you.
Me: (desperately wondering whether she’s for real) What is it you would like to know, Margaret?

Now I'm a little confused. Is she asking you to make changes to your lawn or just trying to make conversation about gardening as relates to her own lawn? Is she tyrannical or just awkward with an obsessive hobby?

She was calling to ask, as always, that we cut down a tree she hates and that we weed along the back fence. Our lawn service does weed but she doesn’t like or appreciate any weeding that doesn’t tunnel down into the micro layers of the earth’s crust and eliminate any genetic vestiges of plant life. And I’m not doing that.

You could try letting it roll over to vmail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your yard really bad, OP? And do your “junk trees” drop on her lawn/garden?

.

I knew someone would ask this. I should have put in my original post that we have a lawn service that comes once a week.

I really don’t understand her definition of junk trees. She HATES fruit trees and huckleberries.

I listed my daughters’ ages because I have zero free time.

Your free time constraints are neither here nor there, OP. But it sounds like you have a clean lawn and pose no issues for a next door neighbor.

Ask her to please stop. Your lawn and property are what they are and you’ll do nothing differently.

Where do you come up with the idea that OP has a “clean yard?” Just curious.

They have a weekly lawn service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Certain types of trees constantly drop branches into the yard. They become a bit of a nuisance. I think people would call them “junk trees.”

Which ones, exactly? I know of none, except sick trees.

NP- my neighbor let a Tree of Heaven grow in her yard. 100% a junk tree and it's banned by the county. Doesn't drop branches but it does have roots that go into foundations and rip up streets.

Tree of heaven is also a host of the invasive spotted lantern fly. These are dangerous invasives.

Op, do you know which types of trees she is objecting to? For someone who cares about the environment and the local economy, there are actually some plants whose harms extend beyond the property line.

Bradford pears are another "junk tree". Invasive and smelly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. A classic phone conversation with her went like this: (I swear to god I’m not making this up)

Obsessed neighbor: I’m just calling to discuss your grass experience with you.
Me: (desperately wondering whether she’s for real) What is it you would like to know, Margaret?

Now I'm a little confused. Is she asking you to make changes to your lawn or just trying to make conversation about gardening as relates to her own lawn? Is she tyrannical or just awkward with an obsessive hobby?

She was calling to ask, as always, that we cut down a tree she hates and that we weed along the back fence. Our lawn service does weed but she doesn’t like or appreciate any weeding that doesn’t tunnel down into the micro layers of the earth’s crust and eliminate any genetic vestiges of plant life. And I’m not doing that.

Why does she hate the tree in your yard?

And try being calmer, OP. No one is attacking you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your yard really bad, OP? And do your “junk trees” drop on her lawn/garden?

.

I knew someone would ask this. I should have put in my original post that we have a lawn service that comes once a week.

I really don’t understand her definition of junk trees. She HATES fruit trees and huckleberries.

I listed my daughters’ ages because I have zero free time.

Your free time constraints are neither here nor there, OP. But it sounds like you have a clean lawn and pose no issues for a next door neighbor.

Ask her to please stop. Your lawn and property are what they are and you’ll do nothing differently.

Where do you come up with the idea that OP has a “clean yard?” Just curious.

They have a weekly lawn service.

I see.

[Anonymous]

OP I had a neighbor just like this. There wasn't one thing she wouldn't complain about. Don't take it personally - I really think this is age related. She is in her late 70's and I've watched her slow decline over the last 6 years that we've lived next door to her. I actually feel bad for her because I don't think she means any harm, she likely just feels invisible and marginalized. And these last two years has done nothing to help the situation as she seems quite lonely. We have gone the route of not responding to her emails. And when we see her we're neighborly and wave hello. But that's it.

Let it go OP. She is likely suffering in ways you are not aware of.

[Anonymous]

Upload a photo.

[Anonymous]

Invite them over for a cookout in your backyard. Be open to discussing any issues but also tell them that you’re doing the best you can regarding back fence weeds and that the kids love the junk tree.

Sounds like she’s lonely and just wants to engage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I had a neighbor just like this. There wasn't one thing she wouldn't complain about. Don't take it personally - I really think this is age related. She is in her late 70's and I've watched her slow decline over the last 6 years that we've lived next door to her. I actually feel bad for her because I don't think she means any harm, she likely just feels invisible and marginalized. And these last two years has done nothing to help the situation as she seems quite lonely. We have gone the route of not responding to her emails. And when we see her we're neighborly and wave hello. But that's it.

Let it go OP. She is likely suffering in ways you are not aware of.

+1. Please tell your husband he’s a jerk for laughing in her face.

[Anonymous]

If I lived next to someone like OP’s neighbor, I would deliberately cultivate dandelions in my yard AND plant bamboo along the fenceline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Invite them over for a cookout in your backyard. Be open to discussing any issues but also tell them that you’re doing the best you can regarding back fence weeds and that the kids love the junk tree.

Sounds like she’s lonely and just wants to engage.

Uh, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I lived next to someone like OP’s neighbor, I would deliberately cultivate dandelions in my yard AND plant bamboo along the fenceline.

The bamboo makes you the fool.

[Anonymous]

Reading between the lines, the OP’s yard is a nuisance and trashed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I lived next to someone like OP’s neighbor, I would deliberately cultivate dandelions in my yard AND plant bamboo along the fenceline.

Grow up, PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your yard really bad, OP? And do your “junk trees” drop on her lawn/garden?

.

I knew someone would ask this. I should have put in my original post that we have a lawn service that comes once a week.

I really don’t understand her definition of junk trees. She HATES fruit trees and huckleberries.

I listed my daughters’ ages because I have zero free time.

So, you are saying you would clean up if you had time.