What CAN you do in your garden? (Sort of lighthearted)

[gardentrouble]

So I have NC but I've been using MN for a while, and there seems to be a neighbour or garden related AIBU at least once a day.

OP will say that neighbours are doing something in their garden and ask if it's ok.

There seems to always be an overwhelming majority of responses saying that the neighbours are unreasonable, selfish, inconsiderate etc.

I've seen this with:

• Playing music
• Playing instruments
• Children playing outside
• Trampolines
• Barbecues
• Bonfires
• Fire pits
• Drinking
• Cats
• Pools
• Hot tubs
• Power washing things
• Smoking
• Being out past 10pm
• Being out before 9am

Most of these things I thought were pretty commonplace but judging by some of the responses they are evil evil acts (so at least I'm learning

So I'm asking, what ARE you actually allowed to do in your garden??

[Dreamersandwishers]

I’m there 😁

[Somanysocks]

@Dreamersandwishers Please do, my neighbours on both sides do fairly antisocial things from hot tubs, weed smoking, normal smoking, barking dogs, shouting, loud tv. One side nice, the other not so nice and quiet me in the middle who just potters about feeding the birds.

[BarbaraofSeville]

You've also forgotten gardening with lawnmowers, hedge trimmers or strimmers at any time of day because there could be a baby or shift worker within earshot trying to sleep.

However, you must keep your garden well tidied at all times lest you lower the tone of the neighbourhood, hence such activities are permitted from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturdays and Sundays only (possibly).

Front gardens are not for sitting or playing in, only the back, no matter how large or well hedged you are at the front. Only lower class people use their front garden.

[RomaineCalm]

I'm really interested in what noisy crafts might be. Like rage knitting, or thrash-metal-decoupage?

This made me smile! 😀

You've forgotten to add "sunrise yoga" to the list of permitted activities - particularly when it's shared on social media with a snappy 'bendy-stretchy-loving-lockdown-making-memories-barefoot-on-the-grass-well-being' hashtag.

[Catmummyof2]

You missed bloody loud talking off your list. One of my neighbours sounds like a foghorn. I’m inside my house with all of my windows closed and I can still hear him more loudly than the person I’m trying to have a phone conversation with.

[Dreamersandwishers]

@Somanysocks - can I come live next door to you ? 😉
One of my neighbours practises bagpipes 😂 Its quite atmospheric at times.

[JellyfishandShells]

Be considerate of others about your own actions and tolerant of others - not saying you have to be a doormat about really selfish behaviour but think moderation in all things.

[Somanysocks]

Look at it through the closed window.

[NC10101]

Just to buck the trend, all I want to do in my garden is sit there quietly, reading or going on my phone or just having a sunbathe. At most I’d chat to someone else with me at a normal level. Isn’t this what most people do, most of the time? Doesn’t seem that unreasonable or insane to me

[gardentrouble]

Crafts (quiet ones)

I'm really interested in what noisy crafts might be. Like rage knitting, or thrash-metal-decoupage?

[gardentrouble]

So I can dance around naked as long as it's silent dancing?

Of course BackForGood I'm with you on the being considerate part

[labazsisgoingmad]

its all ok i have told my guinea pigs in their summer runs not to squeak loudly we do not want complaints about their wheeeeping and squeaking

[JuneJuly]

Poppy?

[BestOption]

I don't mind most of your list except music & smelly bonfires.

I don't mind (too much) children practising their instruments in the garden, but adults should know better.

Oh & I hate smoking...but as long as it's not constant then it's just one of those things you have to put up with.

But to add to your light hearted list

Eat
Drink
Read
Potter
Lay in the sun

Crafts (quiet ones)
Jigsaws
Board/card games (quietly)

[Defenestratethecat]

Anything legal you want to do as long as you're not adversely affecting your neighbours. Use a bit of common sense and keep the music down, smoke your weed in your house (if you don't want your house stinking of weed what makes you think your neighbours want the stench drifting into their houses).

Kids playing out? Great. Kids playing out and screeching for hours? Not great.

Perhaps just think about how your behaviour affects others.

[NoIDontWatchLoveIsland]

I think some people on mnet are unusually intolerant of normal levels of noise from children. Some threads on here made worried and I asked our neighbours to tell me if DS noise was any issue, they chortled and said it sounded like he was having a great time.

[changedmynameforlockdown]

@Molocosh has it..gardens are for gardening in, or sitting in..read, sunbathe, eating, children playing. Whatever you want provided you are not causing noise or smells your neighbours

[funinthesun19]

The first answer on the thread sums it up perfectly

Don’t go reading a book to your child in the garden too. It’s very disruptive!

[StarlightLady]

I sunbathe topless in my garden, if someone goes to a lot of effort l can be seen. I’m sure l must have caused offence to someone peeking.

[Pinkbunny2811]

I must be a nightmare neighbour then. I've had bbqs, I've played music, I've laughed -shudder-, I've even chopped branches off a tree (I did tell my neighbours about the tree). My other neighbours often play music. I think I'm just lucky cause we have a little community and if we have any arguments we clear them up pretty quickly and help each other out a lot

[PorpentiaScamander]

I must be really weird by MN standards. I dont care if my neighbours are loud between 9am-11pm. Have a bbq. Get a trampoline. Next doors DC practises her recorder in the garden most days. Her and her sister argue in a the garden
They also sing and laugh. I love hearing them.
It's no more than the parents listened to when my DC were small. (Other than the recorder)

[BlessYourCottonSocks]

Agree with many others. Do what you will in your garden provided it does not impinge on other people in any way. @Molocosh has it perfectly I think.

[Molocosh]

Garden. Grow flowers and veg, dig up weeds, watch bees, listen to birds. Read a book, sunbathe, watch Netflix with earphones in. DS plays out as long as he’s reasonably quiet. I wouldn’t allow a trampoline, they’re hideous and I don’t want to look at that out of my window.

[BackforGood]

Sorry, I've gone all sensible.
Time for bed I think

[BackforGood]

P'r'aps not in the 'light hearted' vein, but generally I'd say 'be considerate' is the key, as it is in most places and situations in life.
What seems to be more of an issue on MN is the lack of tolerance and understanding in a lot of MNers that we are all different, and actually, there is likely to be some disturbance from your neighbours at various times, and that is part of living alongside other people.