15
   

Tacky Neighbor "Decorations" ie crap

 
 
chai2
 
  1  
Reply Wed 4 May, 2011 08:31 am
@Linkat,
Good deal.

In a way, it's not surprising.

Like if they cared about what their place looked like, they would have said "I put that there on purpose, I like how it looks there"

The fact they would put a statue on top of something growing, or just leave a cigar for later, leaving christmas decorations out way too late. I think they are blind to the fact those objects are even there.

I'm curious, have you ever seen the inside of their house?
CalamityJane
 
  1  
Reply Wed 4 May, 2011 08:45 am
Good solution found!

Make sure when you have an open house on your condo that you give your
neighbors tickets for the movies :-))
0 Replies
 
Linkat
 
  1  
Reply Wed 4 May, 2011 10:07 am
@chai2,
My husband has been in there - as prior he was "friends" with the husband. They even had gone out for drinks and a ball game.

He really didn't mention anything about it so I imagine there was nothing of note to report. I can see in often times when I walk to my door when they have their front door open. I really didn't register anything odd or unkempt.

And last year, they did put a hanging plant on the plant hook. The thing died and was dry as bone as they never watered it so it looked horrible.

In the back as our door opens out into a nice backyard area, we have added to the normal landscape, planting flowers and flowering plants - we do regularly water and maintain so it looks nice. And frequently neighbors (not them) complement on the area.
0 Replies
 
Linkat
 
  1  
Reply Wed 4 May, 2011 10:12 am
@chai2,
Yes - we are finishing our cleaing/painting and de-cluttering this week. My husband being laid off recently (which ended up being good for this situation) is doing most of the work. I am doing what I can to help when I get home from work - cleaning cabinets out and getting stuff in storage that we do not use regularly.
0 Replies
 
Linkat
 
  1  
Reply Thu 5 May, 2011 11:15 am
So my husband decided to talk with the guy neighbor. Hubby brought it up as to discuss if he like the bushes that were in this plant/flower box area - he agreed he didn't like them and my husband talked about working together to replace it. He discussed how the area was "shared" space and wanted to work with him as you are supposed to agree with the surrounding owners.

He also let him that we would be putting our place on the market and he was ok with them leaving their crap (well he said it nicer) there, but would like to remove it, to keep a clean look to the area, whenever we had a showing. They agreed. And seemed to patch things up - hubby figuring that way they would be cooperative whenever we have a showing.

Then I get this response back from the management company. He said he will have the guy that manages the property on site head out there sometime today to remove the trash items and move the statue. He’ll also assess the rest of the area.

I guess I may have caught him at a bad time with his first response. I did tell him not to bother as I had cleaned it up and we compromised with our neighbors.

0 Replies
 
Mame
 
  1  
Reply Thu 5 May, 2011 12:53 pm
@ossobuco,
Probably Sing-Sing.
0 Replies
 
Linkat
 
  1  
Reply Thu 19 May, 2011 08:49 am
So, it appears not everyone seems to be happy with these neighbors. Seems their broom they have left out for several days has disappeared.

My husband called to tell me that he was approached by the guy neighbor. He asked my husband if he threw out his broom (which he hadn't). Hubby had actually contacted our contact at the management company about him leaving his broom out for several days, along with sneakers in the front, but our contact was out the rest of the week.

The neighbor said he saw it in the dumpster. I question this, because my husband said he went and looked (he's afraid of course they will blame us) and didn't see it. Any way - my husband was up front and said, I wouldn't throw it away, but if we did have a showing, we would remove it during the showing and place it back. He also mentioned the sneakers being left out - which the neighbor replied, well they have dog poop on them. Hubby - so put them in your garage or on your deck in the back why would you put it out front in shared space?

So who threw the broom away?
ossobuco
 
  1  
Reply Thu 19 May, 2011 08:53 am
@Linkat,
That was Green Witch..
Linkat
 
  1  
Reply Thu 19 May, 2011 10:06 am
@ossobuco,
I should have known.

Well - thanks Green Witch!
0 Replies
 
George
 
  1  
Reply Thu 19 May, 2011 11:06 am
Garden . . .
Broom . . .
Green Witch . . .


Yeah, makes sense.
0 Replies
 
chai2
 
  2  
Reply Sat 4 Jun, 2011 12:19 pm
I'm gonna use this thread for a mini neighbor gripe I have myself. My next door neighbours are not tacky, nor are they crappy. In some things, they are just oblivious.

I know I've mentioned this on A2K before, and I am going to bring this up in light conversation the next time I see them, but I guess I'm using this for practice on how I should say this.

First though, what I am NOT going to say, and what's going on.

ok, I'm aware that we are in a drought. It seems we've been in a drought since I first bought my home in 1991. I got rid my my lawn, planted low water plants, mulch, etc. and now it's paying off. From the pics below, you can see things are growing, nay, thriving.
That's because even if there's a drough, plants ******* need water. A nice deep slow drink once in a while.
I guess I now consider myself a gardener, pretty much self taught, with friendly advice from others. I've had my share of failures, which is part of the game.

NDN (next door neighbor) have a great house, have spent a lot of money on it, built it from the ground up. Most recently they have spent what I estimate to be a shitload and a half on someone coming in, planning landscaping around the entire house, buying, planting, etc. etc.
They had a sprinkler system put in, and when they built the house they had a fancy schamancy cistern installed.

What they fail to realize is, when you put a plant in the ground, especially before it gets established, it's not like putting a pretty vase up on a shelf, and walking away from it.

Their sprinkler system (which would be better suited to a lawn, not the plants they have paid a lot of money for) is on a timer, that goes off every few days, for, no kidding, like 5 minutes. The ground is so dry, it mainly just runs off. Even if it were lawn they were sprinkling, at that rate it would only promote shallow roots. Oh, they also have the sprinkler set to go off at around 5pm, the hottest time of the day. God only knows how much of the water is evaporating in the air. Last year, before the landscape artist got around to their front yard, they had planted a vegetable garden (she fancies herself a gourmet cook. The kitchen was by far the most expensive room in the house to build. Professional grade stove, oven, etc) I think she got a totally of 3 crappy looking tomatoes from the deal.

Sometimes you have to be absent from somewhere for awhile to see what it really looks like. At least I do.
While I was on vacation, my neighbor Bill gave our crepe myrtle a really good, slow soaking, and the tree was entirely in bloom when we came home. In fact, it's the only tree on our entire street that blooming.
The lantana were blooming, the cigar plants were twice as big (they still have a ways to go) I immediately picked 20 ripe tomatoes, 1/2 dozen bell peppers and 10 cucumbers.
I'm not bragging, I'd never grown food before in my life, and only now am I getting my gardening legs under me, so no one is more surprised than me. The point is, I'm amazed at what some good soil, a little fish emulsion and some water will do.

The next morning (I was still on vacation the rest of the week) I went outside and was dismayed looking next door. When I first moved into my house, for the first 12 years my neighbor was Andrew, who lived in what was then a little 600 sq foot cottage. At the border of our property there was, and is a mountain laural. Each Spring, beautiful purple blossoms, bright leaves...a happy bush.
I looked and realized how distressed Andrews mountain laurel was, as well has some half dead rose plants that they had put in last year around the laurel.
The sprinkler system does not extend out there.

I knew Andrew would be clutching his chest in horror if he saw this, and I realized "This is enough" and left my hose running over that area for a few hours, at a small trickle. The next day the laurel looked better, the roses plants (no flowers of course) looked bewildered. I felt like I was looking at neglected little children and realized I couldn't let them go back.
I got out my nursery style watering device, and gave them a long overdue drink.
Right now, most of the rose plants have sprouted new leaves, and 2 of them have actually put out little buds, one of which is blooming. I don't know if it's too late in the year, but I would love to get Andrews mountain laurel to bloom.

Sooooo.....between the time the plants perked up from their slow trickle watering, and the time I just decided to give them a good soaking, I was chatting with the neighbor over the fence, so to speak.

I said (in an indirect way, that's the way you do it in Texas) "I hope you don't think I overstepped my boundaries, but when I was watering last night I noticied your laurel and roses looked a little distressed (a little, yeah Rolling Eyes ), so I took the liberty of laying the hose on them for a couple of hours. They look much better.

She absently looked over there and said "oh.....well.....be my guest"

Be my guest? Shocked

Internally I was thinking "Honey, you have about $500 dollars (or more, and that wasn't paying for the labor, or the designer) worth of unestablished plants here that are barely hanging on, some plants you put in the ground last year that never bloomed last year or this, and are shell shocked, a beautiful old bush with many years ahead of it that distressed, and some new trees that at 8 o'clock in the morning have drooping leaves."

What I said of course was more like "How 'bout them Lakers"?

I honor/memory of Andrew, I've made up my mind to take over the care of mountain laurel. But I'm not their gardener.

Next time I see one of them, I was going to bring up this...

I thought it might be good to say something like "You've invested so much money on these beautiful plants, I hope you don't mind a little advice"

I think he'll listen, though I don't think he's really get it....A month ago, when he was slamming something into the ground, I mentioned how it's visually pleasing to have plants in groups of 3 (I more meant in groups of odd numbers, like 3, or 5). It was totally off the cuff, and I didn't even think he heard me. But, next week, when he was back at it, I had to laugh because he had bought 3 of everthing. Smile

I think in the long run you don't use much more water taking care of something right, like deep watering occassionally, then by torturing the plant with barely enough to keep it alive.

I do know the plants and trees give back more to the environment, and to the eye, when they are healthy.
chai2
 
  2  
Reply Sat 4 Jun, 2011 12:41 pm
In bloom

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/4482/crepe6411002.jpg

Some cuttings I had to take off that were low hanging

http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/1725/cutting6411004.jpg

Andrews poor mountain laurel, and the half dead roses. It used be be a bushy bush, but NDN's decided they wanted it to be a tree. However, they don't realize they have to trim suckers off, so it's trying to revert to a bush.

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/5187/mountain6411005.jpg

This pecan tree could really use a drink too.

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/8915/mike6411006.jpg

roland enjoying the crepe myrtle cuttings

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/4161/roland6411009.jpg

otis ditto

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/1165/otis6411010.jpg
0 Replies
 
ossobuco
 
  1  
Reply Sat 4 Jun, 2011 01:43 pm
@chai2,
The problem is that the seeming pros who designed and installed the garden did not leave proper instructions for timing the irrigation sprinklers. Or if they did, those must have gotten tossed. That is an important art. I agree with you generally about deep watering, and timing on that may vary as the plant roots grow deeper and sometimes quite a lot wider than the size of the plant's diameter. I can see a short bath for newly installed plants from, say, 2" pots, just until the plants get established. Definitely agree about timing re choosing the coolest hours, like, duh!

Irrigation sprinklers can be used for shrubs and perennials, with different heights of risers from short ones to tall ones (not talking about pop ups), bubblers or stream sprays... but far as I can see, drip irrigation of some sort is increasingly wise to choose. That can be done with an old or modified old sprinkler system, or above ground tubing - some drip irrigation designs use existing buried pvc for the tubing to run through, with nodes connecting that tubing with the spaghetti tubing and buds to go to a set of plants. These systems can be pretty sophisticated, with different valves for different plant areas - I haven't designed them in years now, but I once designed drip for ninety houses in a whirlwind of design frenzy since the plans were due yesterday (as usual when working for developers). I suppose drip irrigation has improved even more by now, as it used to always be getting better and better. Anyway, a good landscape contracting firm knows what it is doing re irrigation timing and leaves plenty of instruction for the client... and is available for further consultation.

As to what to say, I guess I'd suggest to the neighbor to have the irrigation installer come out and review their advice about timing of watering. Or maybe call a different firm. Sigh.

It must hurt to see the plants so stressed.

On groups of three, five, seven, and so on... very japanese in concept, or at least so my japanese mentors told me. Hard for me to tell at this point - I just think it looks better, more naturalistic.
JPB
 
  1  
Reply Sat 4 Jun, 2011 01:49 pm
@chai2,
I'm only allowed, by hamster rules, to give this one thumb up. If I had my druthers you'd get a plus 10. Keep those corner babies going and growing and maybe (if you're lucky) you'll get a new neighbor who appreciates what it takes to keep those labors of love going.
ossobuco
 
  1  
Reply Sat 4 Jun, 2011 01:50 pm
@ossobuco,
Like your photos..
Roland and Otis are the "cats' pajamas".

Mountain laurel - new plant to me - Kalmia latifolia, blueberry family.. (something new every day)
CalamityJane
 
  1  
Reply Sat 4 Jun, 2011 02:08 pm
That crape myrtle is just beautiful, and this particular color even more so,
and as JPB suggested, I'd keep up with the watering too, you'd benefit in
the long run with more shade as well.
chai2
 
  1  
Reply Sat 4 Jun, 2011 03:48 pm
@JPB,
JPB wrote:

I'm only allowed, by hamster rules, to give this one thumb up. If I had my druthers you'd get a plus 10. Keep those corner babies going and growing and maybe (if you're lucky) you'll get a new neighbor who appreciates what it takes to keep those labors of love going.


Thanks JPB. I appreciate that.

I don't want new neighbors, I think they are here for the long haul.
They are good people, no doubt about that.

I think it really is about them being unaware that outdoor upkeep is just as important as indoor.
Their house is really nice on the inside, and is maintained very well.

I think they would be prime candidates for living in an upscale, large condo where they did not have to think about plant maintenance at all. A place with a big nice outdoor area for their kid to play in (he just turned one), but that they didn't have to pay any attention to.
I'm sure she doesn't get itchy fingers in February, turning the pages in seed catalogs. Definately not him. It's all about "we have to put something outside, so here, let's put this yellow flower plant here, and this big plant there. Ok, we're done." heh, I notice some little weeds are popping up, the same ones that are popping up in my garden. I think if he went out there and looked, he would say "hey, what's that doing there? I didn't plant that."

We're good friends with the neighbors on the other side of them, and I let her vent to me the other day.
It seems that during a storm, one of the NDN trees blew over. I don't know how big it was or anything, I'm sure small. Anyway, the tree blew over into my friend neighbors back yard. No damage, but uh....your tree blew over into my yard?

If my tree blew over, or if I wasn't aware it happened and my neighbor drew it to my attention, it's pretty obvious what my response would be.
In case it isn't obvious I'd say "I'll take care of it right away."

My friend neighbor said something like "wow, your tree blew over into my yard." and NDN said "yeah"

"yeah"????

He did have the tree removed, but I think it was because there was more direct communication.

Seriously, what it is with the guy NDN, is that you have to hit him over the head with something. If you said to him "your tree blew over into my back yard, so you have to have it removed" he would have said "ok"

I'm positive that they had all this landscaping done because she said "we need landscaping." and he said "ok"

I have a strong feeling if I said to him "your plants are all dying because you don't water them enough. they need a deep soaking x times a week/month whatever, and you need to leave a hose on those trees, moving it around every 2 hours so it gets to all the areas of the roots, over the course of a day" he'd very well say "ok" and do it.



chai2
 
  1  
Reply Sat 4 Jun, 2011 03:53 pm
@CalamityJane,
CalamityJane wrote:

That crape myrtle is just beautiful, and this particular color even more so,
and as JPB suggested, I'd keep up with the watering too, you'd benefit in
the long run with more shade as well.


I seem to remember that color was called "dynamite"

0 Replies
 
chai2
 
  1  
Reply Sat 4 Jun, 2011 03:53 pm
@ossobuco,
otis ate some and threw up.

yay!
0 Replies
 
Eva
 
  1  
Reply Sat 4 Jun, 2011 06:23 pm
@chai2,
All of this would distress me, too, Chai.

One thing popped out in your story. "They have a child that just turned one." I remember what that was like. For the first two or three years, I ran around doing everything half-assed. It's not that I didn't care, or that I didn't try. It's just that I had so many new responsibilities, and so little time, I couldn't keep up with everything.

Maybe they honestly don't know how to take care of their new landscaping. Or maybe it's just that they're just overwhelmed. It's impossible to overstate how much time and energy a baby requires. It's always a surprise to new parents. Maybe they just need help.

(I'm glad you watered their stuff.)
 

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