Help me not preach

16 years ago

My neighbor's yard extends about 6-10 feet beyond her driveway to our common property line. She is an older lady and hires out her lawn care and includes some service where they pull up with a large truck with a chemical tank.

I generally mow all the way to her driveway as our mowing schedules are different as it makes it look nice. She's ok with that.

However, I'm trying to go organic and would like to keep any chemicals from being sprayed on that side. I'm more than happy to work that part of her lawn as well, just to make sure that my soil isn't tainted with chemicals. I just don't want to come across as if I'm indicting her (lawn service) use of chemicals.

I'd also like to start cutting my grass (primarily common bermuda) to about 1". I'd be happy to continue cutting to her driveway, but there is quite a bit of St. Augustine mixed in on her lawn, and I'm afraid I'd cause bald spots as the SA dies to be eventually taken over by the bermuda.

Bottom line, I want to have my (and part of her) yard like I want it without coming across as a jerk. She is in declining health and I don't want a disagreement to make her feel like she can't call on me (as she has in the past) for help.

Anybody negotiated this type of situation before? Any tips would be appreciated.

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Comments (4)

morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
16 years ago
If it comes down to it, you only have the right to control what happens on your side of the property line. So if she disagrees, you automatically lose.

So don't push it. :-)

You could suggest that you'd be happy to maintain everything to the driveway (emphasizing that lawn care services are not cheap and that it would be your pleasure).

If I were presented with it that way and in the same situation she is, that would sound really good to me.
grayentropy
16 years ago
If she is an older lady in declining health could you offer to take care of all her lawn and help her save on paying the chemical place? Her big is her lawn?
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abileneblues
Original Author
16 years ago
Hers is the same size as mine, so it would double the work. I asked about that a few years ago when her lawn guy had some health problems and had been a little sporadic in coming around. I figured it would save her some money and only cost me a little gas and an hour or so a week. But she didn't want to stop paying him as he needs the work, etc., etc. Not to mention the fact that she could buy and sell me several times over.

If I could get her to stop the chemical place, I could probably work out something with her lawn mowing guy.

Would I be dooming her St. Augustine if I cut it at 1"?
rcnaylor
16 years ago
If you want to cut both grasses and do them both right, you'll need to change the height of your mower unless you get her approval to try to convert her grass to bermuda by mowing it and fertilizing it like bermuda likes and SA doesn't.

On the chemical issue, again, about all you can do is try to get her to agree to something. Most likely it is going to cause either confusion or resentment on her part more than it is worth.