Having your own little slice of land means that someone else has their own little slice right next to you. This means that there will be a certain amount of interaction you’ll have with them, regardless of how much to try. It’s easy to get along with neighbors, but usually when arguments arise, it has something to do with lawn care etiquette. So where do people often go wrong, and what is proper lawn care etiquette?
- Don’t mow before 9 in the morning any day of the week, or 10 in the morning on the weekend. Just because you’re an earlier riser doesn’t mean that your neighbors are, and just because it gets oppressively hot in the afternoon doesn’t mean your comfort outweighs that of your neighbors. It’s poor lawn care etiquette to inconvenience your neighbors and wake them up. Also be alert if any of your neighbors work odd shifts – try to avoid waking them up.
- If you are packed in close to your neighbors, in the city or suburbia, don’t mow when your neighbors are having parties or picnics outside. That’s just not cool.
- Keep your debris off your neighbors’ property. This is a key sticking point in many neighborly disputes, so its a point of lawn care etiquette you need to get right. If mulch, grass clippings, or leaves end up on your neighbor’s property, bring them back on to yours. Leaving a mess for your neighbor to clean up will only breed ill will.
- Watch your spray. With organic gardening becoming important to many folks, not everyone will appreciate any herbicides or pesticides you may spray blowing over in to their yard. As herbicides can be indiscriminate, over-spray can damage something they are trying to cultivate.
- Don’t be afraid to go over the line. If you share a hedgerow, garden, or a property line that goes through grass, work into your neighbor’s side a bit every time to trim, weed or mow. This will show that you are willing to work with your neighbors and give them a hand when needed.
- Communicate with your neighbors. This is often what gets in the way when it comes to yard work – simply asking a neighbor if you can cut an overhanging branch off of their tree before doing so can mean the difference between getting along and months of ill will. Simply talking to your neighbors can sooth any possible breaches of lawn care etiquette that may arise in the future.
- Clean up after yourself – don’t leave messes out on your property, as it can be an eyesore for your neighbors.
- Finally, what lawn care etiquette boils down to is respect. If you would get irritated if you were on the receiving end, then you should rethink your actions. Would you be irritated if you had to clean up leaves when you didn’t have a tree? Then help rake a neighbors lawn if leaves from your tree fall there.
If you pay attention to these points of lawn care etiquette, you should be able to produce a good, solid relationship with your neighbors so that both of you are able to keep your properties maintained and not rub each other the wrong ways.
