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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Not to mow the meadow

34 replies

Iburntthecakes · 27/07/2012 10:21

We moved house last year and the front garden has had a lawn with an oak tree. DP and I are rather amateurish gardeners and are not good at mowing lawns every week so we've turned half into a meadow with some assistance from knowledgable PIL. It has a mown edge so it looks deliberate rather than overgrown and was already in such bad condition for a lawn that left to itself for the summer it has been covered in wildflowers and looked beautiful. :) PIL have been collecting suitable seeds to add to it.

The neighbour however is not happy. She angrily stood by whilst my FIL mowed half the lawn and the border, signalled for him to stop and demanded to know when the rest was going to be mown as she didn't want the weed seeds all over her garden.

FIL said she'd have to take it up with us as it wasn't his responsibility. He doesn't like confrontation and was quite upset.

There's a bit of a history with comments about our garden ie she keeps hinting we should chop down the oak tree because of the acorns dropping on her drive.

AIBU to continue to grow the meadow or is it antisocial and should I tell her we have to wait until after it's seeded to mow Grin

OP posts:
Latara · 27/07/2012 11:17

My lawn is full of weeds.
There are zillions of local cats, foxes, squirrels & birds so i prefer not to use chemicals eg weedkiller.
I like the grass to be neat yet fairly long eg at least inch & half as it looks 'natural' & lush.

I love the idea of a meadow; some 'weeds' are actually wildflowers & look very pretty.
None of my neighbours ever care what each other does.
They all leave out bird seed; so unusual grasses keep appearing on my lawn! But it's interesting to see.

Btw if anyone knows how to destroy dandelions naturally - please let me know. Could not believe it when i saw them for sale in a garden centre! Who is a total mug buys dandelions when they just turn up & plant themselves in for free??

One of my cousins has a rescued Shetland pony to use as a dual purpose lawnmower / fertiliser. My garden is tiny or i would borrow him to chew the grass & shrubs :)
You should get one - i'm sure your neighbour will be very pleased to have a cute little horse looking at her every morning hehehehe Grin

Iburntthecakes · 27/07/2012 12:04

Marvellous. Thanks for the various links. A Shetland pony sounds like a great idea Grin but it is too small maybe 10x10m to the person who asked how big. The oak tree is quite small and does not have a tree preservation order on it but it is staying as it's pretty :). We keep telling her we arent planning to chop the tree but she keeps asking if we're thinking about it. She had 1 in her garden which was replaced by small palm things.

OP posts:
PetiteRaleuse · 27/07/2012 12:09

If you really want to piss her off you could get some geese. My neighbour has a paddock type thing and used to borrow a couple of sheep to put in it to keep the grass down, but they were noisy and ruined his veg patch so this year got some geese.

Serious PITA. They're good at keeping the grass down, and, erm, very vocal about it Hmm

Latara · 27/07/2012 12:15

Get a cat. Especially if your neighbour has gravel Grin

whois · 27/07/2012 12:21

Sounds lovely, ignore the horrible neighbour

swallowedAfly · 27/07/2012 12:24

don't destroy your dandelions - you can use the greens in juices or teas and they are so good for you and free!

i'm glad to hear i'm on trend with my garden! my house is built on old meadowland and i have a big garden that has never really achieved a proper lawn i suspect. full of wild flowers and clover and different grasses and left to it's own devices poppies grow and all sorts springs up and surprises me actually. last year i kept on top of the mowing pretty well but this year with all of the rain it has been reallly hard and as a result there is loads growing.

currently in the process of getting it all back under control but thinking i will leave an area up the chestnut and apple trees to do it's own thing and give the insects a bit of a haven in an otherwise very sterile neighbourhood.

TandB · 27/07/2012 12:36

YANBU
We live in a small village and our nearest neighbours on one side have a garden which is effectively a field. It gets massively out of control and the weeds are never going to be kept down. It hasn't been mowed at all this year as their mower is broken. We currently can't see our fence for the weight of plant growth and I have given up trying to weed anything in our garden as the seeds just keep coming.

Life would be easier if they kept it mowed but it looks pretty and it is entirely up to them how they manage their garden.

Latara · 27/07/2012 12:44

swallowed - your garden sounds lovely.

Not sure about using the dandelions for myself as the local tom cats (who all fancy my cat despite being neutered) tend to, er, spray. I've got chives growing & i'm slightly put off them now too!

Maybe my lawn will just be a dande-lawn :)

swallowedAfly · 27/07/2012 13:11

just wash them! can you imagine what has been in contact with the veggies and salad leaves and herbs you buy in a supermarket? Grin

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