Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect my neighbour to weed her front garden....

65 replies

cuteboots · 07/06/2013 13:27

so I moved into the house about a year ago and I always thought that when you live in a housing assocation property you had to keep the garden up together. Obviously not in this case the weeds are awful and make the frt of the houses where we live look awful. Im talking dock leaves that have been growing for a few years and are huge . The garden at the back of house is also awful as well. Would you say something or just try and ignore?? Am I just being a bit precious ??

OP posts:
Hardhaton · 07/06/2013 13:30

I really would just look after your own garden.

ladyMaryQuiteContrary · 07/06/2013 13:30

If you live next door to me, I've just mowed the back garden Grin

Why not ask her if she needs some help? Some people are not natural gardeners so she may need a little encouragement.

mustgetabackbone · 07/06/2013 13:30

looks shifty

Are you my neighbour??

mustgetabackbone · 07/06/2013 13:31

Haha although I own my house so my weeds can be as big as they want!

Actually I contacted a Gardner today lol

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 07/06/2013 13:32

Maybe its a wildlife garden?

YABU. As long as its just overgrown and not full of rusting fridges and dirty nappies then beak out

PelvicFloorClenchReminder · 07/06/2013 13:33

She might not be able to manage it on her own, or have another reason why she can't do it. It might be worth gently raising the subject with her, just to see - it might not be through willful neglect.

RevoltingPeasant · 07/06/2013 13:34

YABU. 'Weeds' are much better for local wildlife than sterile 1.15-inch high lawns. You will probably find there are wildflowers and other plants which attracts bees and butterflies in a wild garden.

I don't let my garden grow wild - I mow - but I do leave the sections where herb Robert or forget-me-not is growing wild. I have some pointed comments from NDN about 'when you get round to sorting your garden out' but I ignore. It's my garden.

Leave her alone and for goodness sake don't start some PA 'I see you need help with your garden' crap.

HairyWorm · 07/06/2013 13:34

I just clicked on to this thread to see if you were my neighbour....

Mine is shocking.

I have better things to do like post on MN

ladyMaryQuiteContrary · 07/06/2013 13:37

I have nettles growing on the front of my house. I'm leaving them as they sting I can make tea out of them. Wink

PelvicFloorClenchReminder · 07/06/2013 13:38

If it's a HA it will be part of the tenancy agreement to keep the garden tidy. There is no clause for horticultural autonomy.

Unfortunately, I know this from experience, and was threatened with eviction when I had absolutely no way of rectifying the situation at the time.

Fakebook · 07/06/2013 13:41

Hyacinth, is that you?

fubbsy · 07/06/2013 13:42

YABU, if it's her garden, she can do - or not do - what she wants with it.

Saying the weeds are 'awful' and the front of the houses look 'awful' is entirely your opinion. Your neighbour may have a different opinion. Or she just may have other priorities in life and it doesn't worry her. Either way, don't say anything to her.

AKissIsNotAContract · 07/06/2013 13:43

Why don't you offer to help her with it?

LackaDAISYcal · 07/06/2013 13:45

phew, not my neighbour either Grin

Annoying though it is, there's not a lot you can do about it. Have you phoned the housing office though? They will propbably come and mow it/cut it all back if they think it's too out of hand.

My mum's neighbour was really bad at doing her garden. to the point that I was helping my mum in the garden one day and idly asked as I dug up some dandelions, "where do weeds come from?" Mum's reply? "Next Door!" Grin

Tallulahmae · 07/06/2013 13:45

To be honest YABU it isn't your garden so you shouldn't interfere - she can keep it however she likes, it might not suit your tastes but you don't live there, if it bothers you so much you can't stand it just try and look for somewhere where it is a regulation to have a 'tidy' front garden and move there.

If she mentioned it to you ever about not being able to manage then by all means offer to help but I would never bring it up.

GreatBallsofFluff · 07/06/2013 13:46

Another one who had to check whether you were my neighbour Blush

Original poster
cuteboots · 07/06/2013 13:46

mustgetabackbone- ha ha ! I dont think you are my neighbour

OP posts:
Original poster
cuteboots · 07/06/2013 13:47

GreatBallsofFluff- Not unless you live in Wiltshire ? hee hee

OP posts:
BitOutOfPractice · 07/06/2013 13:47

I knew this thread would be full of people saying it's none of your business.

But if I had to look at it every day it would get me down too so no, YANBU

Not sure what you can do about it though

kjrv81 · 07/06/2013 13:49

Lol I had to check you weren't my neighbour, the cheeky bitch even had the audacity to say to me the other day now the suns out you can do your weeds.

I did mow the lawn though.

PelvicFloorClenchReminder · 07/06/2013 13:52

The housing office will come and mow it, but they will do an awful job and charge her an extortionate amount for their time.

MaxPepsi · 07/06/2013 13:52

My NDN was told by the council to sort her garden out. As were all the other council tenents on the street. So even tho it was her garden it wasn't up to her to do as she wished.

She'd had problems, of which we had been told by other neighbours.

Eventually my DH offered to cut her grass whilst he was doing ours (so it didn't look to obvious or rude) and she was incredibly grateful and once he'd tidied it up for her she was able to maintain it herself.

Original poster
cuteboots · 07/06/2013 13:52

PelvicFloorClenchReminder- Exactly . I got a letter from them about an apple tree growing over into next doors garden. Apparently someone complained. Id been in the flat for about a week which was even more annoying

OP posts:
corlan · 07/06/2013 13:57

I'd like to complain about my neighbour's front garden. She has weed free flower beds containing pansies planted in grid formation. Her lawn is mowed to within an inch of it's life and the shrubs have been clipped back so that they won't flower.

It's the horticultural expression of a sick mind!

LEMisdisappointed · 07/06/2013 13:59

Could you offer to help her do it? Sounds like it has got too much.

Swipe left for the next trending thread