Grass clippings spreading into bark
J1992
Posts: 4
Hi,
Apologies if this has already been discussed but I couldn't find it on the forum.
I have recently moved into a new build house, a semi detached. I mowed the front lawn over the weekend and packed up when I had finished. 5 minutes later the neighbor came round, knocked on the door and said are you going to finish your garden? (in a quite blunt and rude way now that I think about it). I looked out and couldn't see a problem so I asked him what is wrong with it and he said all the grass clippings in the bark. Our front garden is turfed but his is barked and the two gardens touch with no boundary fence or anything. (I don't think we are allowed to put anything up as part of the development planning permission, my partner is finding out today from the developers).
Anyway I went out and after about 10 minutes I had picked up as much as I could from the about 6 - 8 foot boundary. If I was to try and pick up the rest it would have taken me absolutely ages and there is no way I will be doing that every time I mow the lawn.
As far as I was aware it is good for the plants in the bark and it will disappear within a day or two anyway.
Has anyone ever experienced a similar complaint and how did they get around it? Or does anyone have any recommendations on preventing the clippings spreading into the neighbors bark?
Thanks in advance
Posts
My suggestion is that you do your neighbour in and bury him under the patio. I just couldn't stand this kind of nit picking without even introducing himself or welcoming you to your new home.
I have my beds heavily mulched with bark and a lot of grass gets in there when I mow. I just agitate it with my hands (with gloves) and in a few days the grass cuttings cannot be seen any more.
I suppose the only other thing you could do is cover his side of the border with a long piece of tarpaulin while you mow so the grass cuttings go on the tarp not the bark.
In view of the circumstances I would ask your neighbour if HE Was going to finish HIS garden.
If there is no boundry it's not a good choice if you are so finicky.he should have thought of this before putting it down.
It was his choice I presume to put down bark so why didn't he alert the developers and ask if he could put up a petition which would prevent this happening. ( and it can happen the other way round too, that his clippings can blow into your grass ) . He sounds a bit of a plonker .
But what next ? Is he going to put a ban on Autumn leaves blowing on his bark?
On a lighter note , would it help I wonder trying to sort it out with him in a amicable fashion as you are neighbours. Maybe his bark is worse than his bite
Haha
We have met them before but not more than a few times for more than a couple of minutes. As far as I know we have been polite and courteous to them. We have been in for about a month, so this is the second time I had mowed the lawn and he didn't say anything last time.
With the tarpaulin idea, would I have to get his permission?
Cheers
Granma, the developers put the bark in for them and turfed over ours (without asking as far as I know) as a way to distinguish between the two properties.
I think the tarpaulin is a good idea - and I think it would be good to let the neighbours know that you've taken their concerns on board and have come up with a way of keeping everyone happy. Explain what you're going to do and seek their agreement.
Good neighbourly relations are worth their weight in gold and if you sometimes have to go the extra mile, it'll be worth it
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
As you have said the developers did the gardens this way . Let us know what happens. After all said and done , it's best if neighbours can get on.
Yes I met a neighbour like that she caught me in my garden one day and asked me in quite a shirty way if I could do something about the weeds on my side of the fence because she had planted some conifers which she didn't want choked, I didn't want any trouble with the sour faced so and so so I pulled the few weeds out that were growing there. Go forward ten years and my few weeds are put to shame by her fifteen foot conifer hedge which grew over my side of the fence by a good twelve inches. In short some neighbours want it all their own way but as has been said earlier it's best to get some plastic sheet to put down the next time that you cut the grass as you don't want to fall out with the sour faced old so and so.
Yes sadly I have had neighbours who moan about every little thing. I tend to let it go becasue I want to be able to go into my own home during daylight hours without a disguise on.
My last next door neighbour was horrendous, the weight of the ivy on my fence pulled the whole fence over, in the end I had to take down the fence, dig up and kill all his rampant ivy (with his permission) and buy an expensive new fence.
And still he moaned about every single noise from our house including hoovering which he said was "abnormal" and walking up the stairs too loudly
He moved last year and all the neighbours threw a party to celebrate. The new neighbour is lovely
one of those bunson burner weed killers may work, torch his bark so the grass dries up
wouldnt actually hurt his bark and you only have to stand there waving a wand
what a **** he is