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maden_theshade

Did some Guerrilla Gardening today...

maden_theshade
17 years ago

When I moved into my house, I had the nicest neighbor across the street. He really took care of his yard. Then he sold to some young guy, who then got married and now rents the place out. None of the renters take care of the yard and I hate to see it go downhill. The oleanders by the sidewalk froze back over a year ago, so today I went over and chopped down what I could. I'm so tired of looking at those poor dead limbs. I planted some morning glory seeds in the base and hopefully those will come up and climb the really big stalks that I couldn't get out. Oh and I put out some dwarf cosmos too. I feel better now!

Comments (14)

  • jolanaweb
    17 years ago

    OMG, I can't wait to meet you, lol
    You are one gutsy chick in my book, lol
    What kind of Morning glory did you plant?

  • mikeandbarb
    17 years ago

    Hey Maden, you can come do up my yard any time :) hint hint

  • pjtexgirl
    17 years ago

    I got yelled at for doing something simular to the overgrown Oleander that was in my grass but on my neighbor's side of the property line. I did ask for permission to cut the dead limbs back before hand BTW. Later,the lady swore up and down that I'd killed her late DH's nasty lookin,overgrown,frost/mildew damaged shrub. Her("landscaper" ha ha) son came over to confront me for,"killing it". I assured him that,"you can't kill that thing with a hammer trust me" and that it would be fine.
    I'm not a newbie pruner or new to Oleanders. It came back looking about 6 billion times better. The one he "pruned" (with his eyes shut under the influence maybe?) on the other side is lopsided,has an abundance of damage left untrimmed and looks hideous.
    To top it all off,these folks never came back over and said,"Hey! We were wrong! This turned out just like you said it would!"
    It was a lesson learned!!! Peeps can trim their own darn bushes. If it's ugly I'll just grow something to where I can't see it! LOL!PJ

  • prairiepaintbrush
    17 years ago

    Good for you maden! I wonder if they'll even notice...

    PJ, like I always say, no good deed goes unpunished. Well, you can admire your handiwork even if they won't admit you did good.

  • pjtexgirl
    17 years ago

    Thanks Prarie...Funny I'm using a Castor bean "hedge" with Moon Flower Vine (night blooming MG basically) to hide my eyesore too! Handy aren't they? PJ

  • carolann_z8
    17 years ago

    What a nice gesture. I wish there were more neighbors like you.

  • prairiepaintbrush
    17 years ago

    Um..PJ, aren't Castor Beans horribly poisonous? And is moonvine poisonous? Are you trying to uh.. kill two birds with one stone, so to speak? LOL!

  • maden_theshade
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Well, I think the renters have moved out. And I did this on a Sunday morning when no one was really around. Plus, I can't think anyone would accuse me of devious gardening on a Sunday morning! haha!

    Actually I do like to be careful about what I wear to tend my H* strip on Sundays b/c there is a big Baptist church down the street and I don't want people talking bad about 'that weird lady' squatting in the street in her pj's! :-)

  • pjtexgirl
    17 years ago

    I'm on a busy intersection into my neighborhood and have no privacy hedges. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a documentary or something!
    SHHHH! Prarie don't rat me out! LOL!PJ

  • melvalena
    17 years ago

    The last time I tried to guerrilla garden I got caught.

    I had winter sown way way too much stuff. I was in my neighbor's yard with pots in one hand and trowel in another...standing there looking for a spot to plunk in...
    There wasn't one... I stood there contemplating what to do next,



    She walked up on me, and asked what I thought I was doing!

    We both agreed, we had no place to plunk these babies. :(
    Its pretty bad when your neighbor has to stand guard to keep you from planting flowers in her beds.

  • sally2_gw
    17 years ago

    The closest I've gotten to guerrilla gardening was to throw some mosquito dunks into a big low spot where my former neighbors used to have an above ground swimming pool. They took it down, but didn't do a good job of filling in the big round depression left by the pool, so it filled up with water whenever it rained. It was a perfect mosquito breeding place. So, I got some mosquito dunks and chucked them over the fence into the "pool". DH thought it was an inappropriate thing to do, but I didn't care. The dunks are not toxic, so I figured no one would be harmed, except the potential mosquitoes.

    There was a time when I was trying to get rid of tawny daylilies, and my neighbors got tired of me asking if they wanted some. If I had read this thread way back then, I might have gotten an idea of what to do with all those daylilies!

    Sally

  • sylviatexas1
    17 years ago

    Y'all peoples is crazier'n me!

    For extra daylilies & such, you can post them on freecycle or craigslist & somebody will pick them up & be grateful to have them.

    I've found "homes" for cannas, Christmas decorations, a teapot, an old mirror, & 2 big plastic outdoor toys my neighbor was going to send to the landfill (put them in the car, took them home, pulled up freecycle, & there was a post from someone who was taking care of her nephew & needed outdoor stuff!).

    & I've gotten a whiskey barrel, a bunch of mulch & pots, a carful of rabbit poo, & a wedding dress for a friend who makes doll clothes!

  • sylviatexas1
    17 years ago

    ...guerrilla gardening is too much trouble, or like being crazier'n me is a bad thing.

    While freecycle, etc work for extras that you can't place personally, guerrilla gardening is a *wonderful*, pro-active way to solve a problem & create pleasure & enjoyment.

  • melvalena
    17 years ago

    Those options weren't available to me back then Sylvia.