Nutty Neighbors

[Viola]

I mean I might have accidentally sprayed some weed killer on some of their plants when spraying my yard but....

As a person who grows flowers/vegetables, not weeds,
(though its not always pristinely neat) and is considering going for certified organic certification, if you spray my plants, I will spray your face.

Fortunately most neighbors (except the few hung up on lawns) like the look.
Right now the tulips and daffodils are going off like crazy, the dogwood is budding, and the Japanese maples are just leafing out.

We had an issue with the next-door's landscaping company, but it wasn't the neighbor's fault, she was aghast, and now the landscaper leaves us alone. He thought our hedge was the neighbor's hedge, and said something about "fifteen foot clearances" and my mom told him "that would put you in my diningroom!"

-Viola

 

[jamespowers]

I said she was a better person than I and walked away. As I walked away I told her that if I caught her up there again I wouldn't hesitate to call the police

I doubt she is a better person---just more willing to let someone else use what was not hers. If she really had genuine access then you can bet it would be like the iron cutain. :eusa_doh:
I am sorry you have to put up with that stuff. Sometimes you have to put your foot...uh down.

Regards,

J

 

[jamespowers]

As a person who grows flowers/vegetables, not weeds,
(though its not always pristinely neat) and is considering going for certified organic certification, if you spray my plants, I will spray your face.

If they are growing over the fence into my yard then they just might get sprayed. If its on your side it would be safe. There's was over the fence and it wasn't flowers or vegetables. I wouldn't spray vegetables, I would pick them.

Regards,

J

 

[Viola]

I wouldn't spray vegetables, I would pick them.

At least that makes sense.

I know that when we lived in our old house, we had raspberries, and the neighborhood kids (it was the ONLY city house with raspberries, I'll tell you that) loved it. I have grown friends who remember them fondly.

But once we found some random lady collecting them, and not just taking one as she walked by, she brought a cup.

My mom was irate.

Today we had enough asparagus to offer the super-sweet lady next-door some. She's really cool; I haven't got any aggravating neighbors now.

-Viola

 

[jamespowers]

At least that makes sense.

I know that when we lived in our old house, we had raspberries, and the neighborhood kids (it was the ONLY city house with raspberries, I'll tell you that) loved it. I have grown friends who remember them fondly.

But once we found some random lady collecting them, and not just taking one as she walked by, she brought a cup.

My mom was irate.

Today we had enough asparagus to offer the super-sweet lady next-door some. She's really cool; I haven't got any aggravating neighbors now.

-Viola

Some neighbors have a lot of nerve that is for sure. My next door neighbor, where I lived before, knocked on the door and wanted lemons from my backyard tree. Geez, if it was in the front yard, I probably wouldn't have one on the tree. :eusa_doh:
Now I have two grapefruit trees that I can't give away. [huh] I won't eat them that is for sure.
Asparagus is an interesting plant to have in the garden. They look fern like if you allow them to grow out---and you have to let some grow out for the crop next year anyway. I just sold the house that had them growing in the backyard garden. I guess I will have to plant more here. What variety are you growing. I forget what type I was growing before. I planted them ten years ago.

Regards,

J

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Some neighbors have a lot of nerve that is for sure. My next door neighbor, where I lived before, knocked on the door and wanted lemons from my backyard tree. Geez, if it was in the front yard, I probably wouldn't have one on the tree. :eusa_doh:
Now I have two grapefruit trees that I can't give away. [huh] I won't eat them that is for sure.
Asparagus is an interesting plant to have in the garden. They look fern like if you allow them to grow out---and you have to let some grow out for the crop next year anyway. I just sold the house that had them growing in the backyard garden. I guess I will have to plant more here. What variety are you growing. I forget what type I was growing before. I planted them ten years ago.

Regards,

J

If you need to get rid of some of those grapefruits you could send them my way!
The one thing I don't like about living in the northeast is the lack of the ability to grow fresh fruit. I have a small garden on my roofdeck, but the only thing that really thrives are the herbs. I tried to grow tomatoes one year, I got a couple off each plant but the roof isn't the greatest environmetn for them. I might give it anlther shot this summer. Maybe if I plant them a bit earlier in the season I'll have better luck. I'd love to grow fresh raspberry's and blackberries, as well as peaches and plums. But I think these are all too impossible to grow in large planters 8 stories up. The warm months in New England aren't long enough, and if I planted them early they would just die from the cold.

 

[Viola]

I wish I could grow citrus. As it is...maybe inside.

I think the asparagus are 'Martha Washington' My mom picked them out, I could be wrong.

The raspberries I have now are 'Blackhawk' and they're black raspberries, which is my favorite kind. I like them better than blackberries and they seem to fruit more heavily than reds.

-Viola

 

[jamespowers]

If you need to get rid of some of those grapefruits you could send them my way!
The one thing I don't like about living in the northeast is the lack of the ability to grow fresh fruit. I have a small garden on my roofdeck, but the only thing that really thrives are the herbs. I tried to grow tomatoes one year, I got a couple off each plant but the roof isn't the greatest environmetn for them. I might give it anlther shot this summer. Maybe if I plant them a bit earlier in the season I'll have better luck. I'd love to grow fresh raspberry's and blackberries, as well as peaches and plums. But I think these are all too impossible to grow in large planters 8 stories up. The warm months in New England aren't long enough, and if I planted them early they would just die from the cold.

And if you did get tons of fruit the neighbors that don't belong would steal them.
Geez, If I could send the fruit cheaply I would.

 

[jamespowers]

I wish I could grow citrus. As it is...maybe inside.

I think the asparagus are 'Martha Washington' My mom picked them out, I could be wrong.

The raspberries I have now are 'Blackhawk' and they're black raspberries, which is my favorite kind. I like them better than blackberries and they seem to fruit more heavily than reds.

-Viola

Martha Washington sounds like a good vintage variety. I think I had Jersey Giants or some such thing. [huh]
Do the raspberries spread like wildfire or do they stay put in an area?
I just planted a Globe artichoke. Man, that thing grows fast. I should have artichokes by June easily. :essen: Fortunately they are a year round plant here like citrus. I have three orange and two tangerine. An odd Pinapple guava and a Loquat. Lastly a walnut that I planted when I was ten(incidentally, how the heck do you pick and eat the dang things?! No one here knows). I want to put a pear and an apple or apricot in if the damned neighbor's plants and ornamental trees quit shading out my yard in that area.:eusa_doh:

Regards,

J

 

[Viola]

Martha Washington sounds like a good vintage variety. I think I had Jersey Giants or some such thing. [huh]
Do the raspberries spread like wildfire or do they stay put in an area?
I just planted a Globe artichoke. Man, that thing grows fast. I should have artichokes by June easily. :essen: Fortunately they are a year round plant here like citrus. I have three orange and two tangerine. An odd Pinapple guava and a Loquat. Lastly a walnut that I planted when I was ten(incidentally, how the heck do you pick and eat the dang things?! No one here knows). I want to put a pear and an apple or apricot in if the damned neighbor's plants and ornamental trees quit shading out my yard in that area.:eusa_doh:

Regards,

J

Martha Washington herself would be VERY vintage, but I have no idea if her asparagus is.

I only bought the raspberries last year, and they were mailed to me as naked sticks, so I'm just happy they're leafed out and alive; no spreading around the yard yet. They tip-root and sucker a little, but not too bad. Of course, we're not worried about having too many, either.

Artichoke don't live here; the summer sears them and the winter freezes them to death, and they don't like humidity...Philadelphia appears to be their Kryptonite altogether.

The blueberry is a dwarf and, Daisy, you could grow it in a big tub! And fresh blueberries are mmm-mmm good. Blueberries totally live up in Boston.

I'd like to buy a place with room for more fruit trees. I love your selection, james! Sounds so nice and tropical. While I'm daydreaming, though, I'd like an avacado.

I was thinking of putting a dwarf lemon in a tub but even INSIDE MY HOUSE is too cold.

-Viola

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Martha Washington herself would be VERY vintage, but I have no idea if her asparagus is.

I only bought the raspberries last year, and they were mailed to me as naked sticks, so I'm just happy they're leafed out and alive; no spreading around the yard yet. They tip-root and sucker a little, but not too bad. Of course, we're not worried about having too many, either.

Artichoke don't live here; the summer sears them and the winter freezes them to death, and they don't like humidity...Philadelphia appears to be their Kryptonite altogether.

The blueberry is a dwarf and, Daisy, you could grow it in a big tub! And fresh blueberries are mmm-mmm good. Blueberries totally live up in Boston.

I'd like to buy a place with room for more fruit trees. I love your selection, james! Sounds so nice and tropical. While I'm daydreaming, though, I'd like an avacado.

I was thinking of putting a dwarf lemon in a tub but even INSIDE MY HOUSE is too cold.

-Viola

All of this talk about planting and growing got me excited to attempt another garden. So I did some research and it seems as though both Blueberry's and Raspberries might grow nicely in a big enough planter. My only problem is, when to plant them. Up here we have such cooky weather April, May and sometimes June. It will be 85 and sunny one day and freezing and rainy the next. That's why my tomato and red peppers did so poorly when I planted them. But, if I wait until June when the weather is somewhat more consistent they end up blooming too late in the season and never grow to their full potential. I was so darn proud of the two beefsteak tomatoes I got, but it seems like a lot of work for just two pieces of fruit! My grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes did quite well though. I was very proud of them. Herbs like Rosemary and sage grow like weeds. I had a window box with Rosemary, Sage, Peppermint and Spearmint that yielded a lot. I left the box out all winter for I had no place to store it. The following spring I had planned on replanting in it, but I didn't have to. The herbs just started growing again. The strange thing is, my planters that had the beefsteaks and the red peppers have been out on the deck all winter and with only the few days of warmth and sun we've had this past week, they are sprouting. What they are growing I do not know but I don't think it's anything edible. I'm just gonna go and plant whatever they are in the woods, I can't bring myself to throw away a living plant, and start from scratch. I think I'm gonna take a chance and plant in early May. Maybe the weather will be in my favor and I'll get more than 2 tomatoes. I can always buy the ready grown tomato plants, the ones that are already flowering, a lot of people, given the early spring weather and the danger of planting with seeds due to it, wait til' later in the season to plant and buy the already flowering plants. This seems a bit like cheating to me. I'm psyched to plant the berries. Everyone's invited for belgian waffles with fresh blueberries, raspberries, and maybe some blackberries too!

 

[Diamondback]

Everyone's invited for belgian waffles with fresh blueberries, raspberries, and maybe some blackberries too!

Great, here we go again. Why does everyone always have to post such tempting descriptions of food either well before or right after I'm dealing with chow? You people have a gift for inspiring cravings at the worst possible times, I tell you...

But now I'm fftopic:

 

[Dr Doran]

Elaina, amazing dolls. Powers, I'm on your side when it comes to neighbors. If they are new, they should compromise a little to fit into the pre-existing schema of the neighborhood. A little, at least. Daisy, what if you put signs around your deck? Viola, I hope you go organic. I sold organic veggies and fruits professionally for ten years in an organic store in San Francisco. I believe in it. It's a beautiful way to farm.

One thing that people did in Poland for a long time: they occupied their awful Soviet apartment blocks, but also bought little plots of land a couple of miles or so outside the city (outside Warsaw or Lublin or wherever they lived). On these plots, called "dzialkas," (from the verb dzielic meaning to divide) they grew flowers and vegetables. These are not rich people, but they did it anyway, just a small plot, especially afterWW2. The thing is, these plots of land eventually got surrounded by the city. This was great, because the little plot you bought for very little money was now worth a lot of money and (after Communism fell, thank goodness) you could sell your dzialka at a tidy profit or, what a lot of people did instead - you could turn it into a summer house or even a main residence. Because over the years, you'd typically build a toolshed. Since you grow veggies there, you start camping in the shed. Then you make it sturdier and sturdier, tear down the flimsey walls and put up better ones, and eventually get running water and electricity.
This is something my wife and I want to do when we finish our PhDs and get out of "Cali." If we get a dzialka big enough and far enough out of a metropolitan area, there are no bloody neighbors to worry about!

 

[jamespowers]

All of this talk about planting and growing got me excited to attempt another garden. So I did some research and it seems as though both Blueberry's and Raspberries might grow nicely in a big enough planter. My only problem is, when to plant them. Up here we have such cooky weather April, May and sometimes June. It will be 85 and sunny one day and freezing and rainy the next. That's why my tomato and red peppers did so poorly when I planted them. But, if I wait until June when the weather is somewhat more consistent they end up blooming too late in the season and never grow to their full potential. I was so darn proud of the two beefsteak tomatoes I got, but it seems like a lot of work for just two pieces of fruit! My grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes did quite well though. I was very proud of them. Herbs like Rosemary and sage grow like weeds. I had a window box with Rosemary, Sage, Peppermint and Spearmint that yielded a lot. I left the box out all winter for I had no place to store it. The following spring I had planned on replanting in it, but I didn't have to. The herbs just started growing again. The strange thing is, my planters that had the beefsteaks and the red peppers have been out on the deck all winter and with only the few days of warmth and sun we've had this past week, they are sprouting. What they are growing I do not know but I don't think it's anything edible. I'm just gonna go and plant whatever they are in the woods, I can't bring myself to throw away a living plant, and start from scratch. I think I'm gonna take a chance and plant in early May. Maybe the weather will be in my favor and I'll get more than 2 tomatoes. I can always buy the ready grown tomato plants, the ones that are already flowering, a lot of people, given the early spring weather and the danger of planting with seeds due to it, wait til' later in the season to plant and buy the already flowering plants. This seems a bit like cheating to me. I'm psyched to plant the berries. Everyone's invited for belgian waffles with fresh blueberries, raspberries, and maybe some blackberries too!

I think I see your problem with tomatoes. You are definitely growing the wrong variety for your area with Beefsteaks. They take far too long to mature---80 days or more. You need something like Glacier that matures in 45 days.

or Siberia that matures in 48 days.

maybe even Ultimate Opener Hybrid:

I get a good amount of my special plants and seed for this from Totally tomatoes. Good resource.

Regards,

J

 

[jamespowers]

Elaina, amazing dolls. Powers, I'm on your side when it comes to neighbors. If they are new, they should compromise a little to fit into the pre-existing schema of the neighborhood. A little, at least. Daisy, what if you put signs around your deck? Viola, I hope you go organic. I sold organic veggies and fruits professionally for ten years in an organic store in San Francisco. I believe in it. It's a beautiful way to farm.

Thanks, makes sense to me. The neighbor who is putting up the fence has done a great job and I stick up for him when the city goes after him because his fence is too high near the sidewalk or some stupid thing like that. The locals seem to think that because it once was like a park, it should stay that way. Great, if they bought the property then they could do what they wanted with it but this guy owns it and he should be able to fence it off. He is also putting in a huge new driveway where it has always been gravel. I am sure it will look great but the city will likely step in and say something stupid.
I worry about the big stuff not how high the fence is or what color he decided to paint the house. A tree growing over my fireplace and onto my roof is a problem. Got that taken care of last week.

Regards,

J

 

[Dr Doran]

James, i'm bummed you won't be coming to the do in Walnut Creek. I can talk your ear off about tomatoes. I have not grown them but I sold the heirloom varieties, locally grown, for a long time.

 

[Jerekson]

My current next-door neighbors are quite insane, at times.

Rest assured, they are dear, sweet people, but they are absolute nuts.

They have this certain knack for leaving doors open. For instance, the wife will drive their daughter home from school in the afternoon, and as she exits the car, she leaves the car door halfway open. Then she goes inside through the garage, leaving that door open as well, and in through the house door (open, as well).
I'll usually think, "Oh, she's probably just running in to get something, then leaving again."

Hours will pass.

And those three doors will remain blatantly open. It baffles me.

Just but last week, I went for a walk at maybe 9 or 10 o'clock on a very nice night. As I returned, I swear, the garage door was cranked up and the inner door was propped open.
Not to mention, both the cars were parked in the driveway with the windows rolled all the way down.

And they were all sleeping.

I could have, quite literally, walked in through their kitchen and stolen their television. I didn't of course but the theory is there.

It really baffles me.
*maybe I'll post this in the "strangest thing" thread*

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I think I see your problem with tomatoes. You are definitely growing the wrong variety for your area with Beefsteaks. They take far too long to mature---80 days or more. You need something like Glacier that matures in 45 days.

or Siberia that matures in 48 days.

maybe even Ultimate Opener Hybrid:

I get a good amount of my special plants and seed for this from Totally tomatoes. Good resource.

Regards,

J

THANK YOU Mr. Powers!!! I will definitely be looking into those varieties. You're right, I'm planting seeds that take far too long to mature given the short amount of time it is persistently warm here. I'm gonna look up those varieties as well as do some research on other types of things I can grow that will thrive in the Boston roof deck climate and have a shorter maturation period. Thanks for the good ideas

Doran, I have signs up in the hallway outside my master bedroom that say no trespassing as well as signs reminding work crews to lock the door behind them, and other signs asking people who use the hall not to let the door slam shut. This does absolutely no good. I'm hoping that these kids are all talk and don't actually have enough friends to throw the type of party that they say they are. It's just so frustrating trying to explain to these kids that they need to respect their neighbors. They have that dorm room attitude and think that everybody is 21 and party's like they do. They think it's strange to have a day time BBQ, and think partying all night is cool. They don't realize that this is a building filled with couples and families. When I said that to them they said that people with babies should live in the suburbs. People with babies have no right complaining about noisy neighbors when they live in a noisy city. They just don't get that just because we don't live in the suburbs we don't want to live next to people blaring their radio at 3am. They are selfish spoiled brats and expect everything to be handed to them and everything to be done their way. I can't believe they have the nerve to complain about a crying baby. You know, 12 years from now, or possibly sooner I hope they are in the same position. At some point, probably in about 5 years, they will grow up and realize that you don't have to go out til the wee hours of the morning, and going to bed at midnight on a Saturday isn't the end of the world. I just hope that when they are ready to grow up they will have some really annoying kids next to them blasting their stereo and shouting in the halls at all hours of the morning. I will not hesitate to complain to both the management company and I will call the cops. They have been fined 3 times I think. After the third fine they start to double. I'm gonna have them fined for even the slightest infraction, make them as miserable as they are making everybody else.
I was out on the roof a few minutes ago. The door that leads to their apartment was open. I stood right next to it and lit up a cigarette. I made sure the smoke went right into one of their bedrooms. A few minutes into they came out gave me a dirty look and closed the door. There's nothing they can do about it, I was outside, on my deck.lol

 

[carebear]

My current next-door neighbors are quite insane, at times.

Rest assured, they are dear, sweet people, but they are absolute nuts.

They have this certain knack for leaving doors open. For instance, the wife will drive their daughter home from school in the afternoon, and as she exits the car, she leaves the car door halfway open. Then she goes inside through the garage, leaving that door open as well, and in through the house door (open, as well).
I'll usually think, "Oh, she's probably just running in to get something, then leaving again."

Hours will pass.

And those three doors will remain blatantly open. It baffles me.

Just but last week, I went for a walk at maybe 9 or 10 o'clock on a very nice night. As I returned, I swear, the garage door was cranked up and the inner door was propped open.
Not to mention, both the cars were parked in the driveway with the windows rolled all the way down.

And they were all sleeping.

I could have, quite literally, walked in through their kitchen and stolen their television. I didn't of course but the theory is there.

It really baffles me.
*maybe I'll post this in the "strangest thing" thread*

These are the kind of people that encourage crime and keep insurance rates high.

They're the first ones to claim innocent victimhood but refuse to take any personal responsibility for their own safety or well-being. They know better, but rather than face reality and adjust their lives in any way they just pretend that "it can't happen to me".

Until it inevitably does. Hopefully it will just be the parents who end up paying the piper, and hopefully it will only involve a loss of property.

 

[varga49]

This is why....

...I enjoy living in the country...the neighbors are far enmough away to be neighborly...when limbs fall my trees...I have kindeling for my BBQ pit.