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

[cuteboots]

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 ??

[olidusUrsus]

YABU. I think it's patronising to offer help, you're assuming she needs help but maybe she just likes her garden.

[ladyMaryQuiteContrary]

I'd be chuffed if my neighbour offered to help me with mine. I'd feed her wine and cake.

[LEMisdisappointed]

It may be a little patronising yes, but if she needs help she has the opportunity of taking it up, also it may start up a friendship. Otherwise it may well actually spur her on to do something about the weeds.

[HamsterDam]

wanted to see if you were my neighbour. my front garden is a state i am ashamed of it but haven't got around to it yet, back garden looks ok o like to keep it nice so dc can play in it but as a single parent with a 4yo a job a house and back garden to keep up the front that we just walk through a couple of times a day is the bottom of the list of my things to do

[ithasgonetotheopera]

Corlan :D

[cjbk1]

I read title as "I expect my neighbour wee'd in her garden"
but yes my (privately owned) next door needs to tidy her garden too esp as its in a conservation area so YANBU x

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Try landshare. A practical way to sort it out.

[CloudsAndTrees]

It probably is in her contract that the front garden has to be kept tidy,but tidy is subjective.

Overgrown doc leaves wouldn't bother me, an old sofa left out the front would.

As long as there isn't rubbish there, I think YABU.

[MammaTJ]

I only have garden at the side of my house so you are not my neighbour.

My garden does not really feel as if it belongs to us and for a long time I got abuse from my neighbours every time I went in to it, so yes, it is a mess.

Maybe there is a good reason they haven't done it.

[Jan49]

I think the only circumstance where you should get involved is if you are willing to do it yourself to help her. How do you know why she doesn't do it? Not everyone has the time or physical ability to do the garden. You say it's HA so it's unlikely that she's a high flying professional with oodles of spare cash to pay a gardener.

I spent a decade putting up with neighbours (all of us privately owning) who thought I should do a lot more gardening. They didn't understand my circumstances and I didn't want to share details with them. The first time someone moaned at me, I was rather upset, but eventually I hardened myself to it, but also felt hurt that people couldn't be a bit more understanding. Eventually I cleared the garden, but after that a neighbour who had never said a word complained to me about it.. If they'd been able to demand that I tidy my garden and had me penalised or evicted by the council for not doing so, some of this would have been very pleased. But the condition of my garden had no effect on them.

So please say nothing unless you are offering help.

[Jan49]

Correction: some of them, not some of this

[JakeBullet]

It's written into my HA contract that the gatden and front bit are nicely kept. Despite this the previous tenant fillef the garden with rubbish only some of which was ckeared. Has taken me two years yo get it looking even something like normal and nice. The lawn in covered in dandelions and will neef recovrring a bit at a time.

Is there a reason her garden is not cared for?

[likesnowflakesinanocean]

our ha are very up on sending letters the minute the grass is too long, I get nervy if the front is untidy

[difficultdivorce]

Just had mine done this morning! It was in a shocking state. But my problem was finding a gardener willing to come out and do it it - it's only about 3m x 2m. Even some sites which said 'No job too small' were refusing. (I was using 'gardnener no job to small' as my search term!)
DH and I have the upstairs of a terrace - no storage area (not even a cupboard), no access to the back yard - so nowhere to store mower or garden tools, even though our lease agreement says that the front is our responsibility. Finally ended up paying a bloke £40 (!!) to come out and sort it. Took him 20 mins max, and he didn't make a great job of it (and left the clippings for me to dispose of), but at least it's done now. What to do next month...

[fantashtic]

My granny's neighbours called the parish council on another person in the street as he doesn't cut his grass and won't let anyone else do it either.
i was quite pleased when they informed the complainer that it was no-ones business other than mr long grass and to leave him alone

[limitedperiodonly]

In two minds really. I'm with those people who said to offer to do it yourself or have a word with the HA.

A property developer was renovating the house next door last summer and asked if I'd be tarting up the front of my house because it would affect kerb appeal. My house didn't look terrible but it looked a bit tired. However, I've other calls on my money atm, as do many people.

So he sent his builders round to level off superficial cracks to the stucco and other weather damage, give it a lick of paint front and back, repair a broken railing and trim the rampant ivy in the back garden. Result, although the bastard didn't go for my request to replace the broken tiles on my doorstep

The house next door is still on the market.

[Tee2072]

You would hate me. I mow (well, have a guy who mows) but I like the weeds. Some of them are pretty.

I also don't trim my hedges.

But I privately rent so it's no one's business anyway, except my landlord's, but he lives in Hong Kong.

[Justfornowitwilldo]

If it's a HA property contact them and they will send out a warning.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

YABU, mind your own.

[limitedperiodonly]

tee2072 I'm looking at my ivy atm. It's luscious. Don't know what variety it is, but it has leaves the size of a small hand. It's at the point where it's still tender bright green rather than tougher dark green. It's spilling off the wall and is the age where it will flower and get berries in late summer.

It's glorious, but it'll will piss off the neighbours, whose wall it's growing on, so I'll be out there with my extended clippers, but not for a month or maybe two if I can get away with it.

[Tee2072]

limited I keep getting the most beautiful flowers. I have no idea what they are, but I am happy to have them!

[Bogeyface]

If it is HA then they will deal with it, if not beak out!

[RevoltingPeasant]

Jeez people. Even if it is HA. Why not leave the poor woman alone?

I am so incredibly glad I own my home. It was one of the things I hated about renting: we had a beautiful rented garden that backed onto a wood and the bottom would fill with bluebells in the spring, amongst the grass. Which we then had to mow down before a periodic inspection.

Dandelions are not 'weeds' to everyone. Neither are docks. Both are traditional native plants with medicinal benefits.

Personally, I bloody hate suburban gardening, with colour-coordinated, sterile, imported flowers planted in formation, covered in pesticide and surrounded by concrete and brick. Total ecological nightmare. I find that depressing to look at.

Maybe I should wander up the street offering my neighbours some of my dandelion seeds to plant to sort out their gardens.......

[ladyMaryQuiteContrary]

What are the white weeds which release their seeds when you blow them and they drift away in the breeze? (slightly off topic, sorry)