My Garden, My Responsibility, My Neighbor’s Yard

Question

We have an urban container garden in a 16′ X 16′ cement yard with chain link fence separating our yard from two neighbor’s yards. Neither neighbor gardens and everyone has cement backyards, but my garden includes hyacinth bean runners growing through one fence and a Russian Sage (and now some grape tomatoes) sneaking through the other fence. I did ask the neighbor about the hyacinth bean runners, and he was fine knowing they’d spread like they do.

So, what’s the problem? It’s my garden, so my responsibility to clean up my mess/plants in their yards, (And, now that we’ve had it for a while, wildflowers are growing out of the cracks in the cement along the fence, and flower bushes and large flowers wander into their space too. They do know they can pick whatever they want for bouquets. ) BUT I feel terribly guilty going into their yards to do so. Both are “shore people. ” (Shore people go down to the shore/ocean every weekend, and for a few weeks here and there during the summertime. ) That makes it hard to talk about it, since they’re not home often.

So, am I practicing proper gardening etiquette for this situation? All I do in their yards is clean up the mess and get out. I lock the fences up afterwards. No one has complained, but I worry the anger could be building up and they don’t want to talk to me about it.

Answer 1

Sounds like you are being a thoughtful neighbor. I would write them a note telling them how much you appreciate their understanding (they may even enjoy the flowers!!) but that you are concerned about going in their yard to clean up. Ask them if they object and if so, to please let you know. I would think they regularly somehow check their mail?

Answer 2

Good idea. Thanks.