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Human nature plays a big role in many of our actions and inactions.
One of them is piling our junk out back.
"Out of sight, out of
mind" is the old saying, and you rarely have to look at
your stuff
that gets piled out back, or behind the shed. But what about the
neighbors? Your back yard may be the main view they have from their
deck or patio. Or it could be the side of your house they see the
most, every time they pull in or out of their driveway. Is it a view
you would like to have 24-7?
Front looks great,
but how's your backyard?
Sure, everyone keeps
the front yard looking great, after all, it tells the world
who we are,
and even has a clever name:
"Curb Appeal." But the
backyard, well, sometimes it just serves as a place to keep our
extra stuff. It tells more about
who we aren't.
Even with the best intentions, back yards can become junked-up
looking. Those bright blue tarps used to cover everything from
woodpiles to swimming pools should be banned for outdoor use. You've
heard the term "eyesore."
So why am I blogging about junky backyards? As landscape
contractors, we are frequently called upon to hide these eyesores.
Yesterday was no exception. In this case it involved an abandoned
swing set. You know the one, the kids are grown-up and living three
states away, but their bright colored swingset is still gracing the
backyard for only the neighbors to "enjoy." Our mission, if we
decide to accept it, is installing a planting to screen this view
from our client's rear deck. The preferred choice is
evergreens since they will screen the view 12 months a year.
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EVERGREEN BUFFER
Pyramidal arborvitaes will provide a nice, narrow
evergreen buffer in sunny areas. If you have deer in
your neighborhood, choose a variety that deer don't like
as much as the ones shown in the photo below.
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The swing
set case we looked at yesterday (not pictured here) is fairly "innocent" compared to others we have
encountered over the years. The most severe junkyard cases can usually be
addressed by zoning laws, but neighbors are usually more interested
in avoiding conflict than reporting a "junkyard" to authorities,
unless their patience wears thin after years of negligence.
Who relishes a border war or a Hatfield-McCoy type situation anyway?
Most people will bend over backwards for their neighbors by trying
to avoid conflict. After all, bad neighbor situations can last a
lifetime. So instead of reporting a budding junkyard, nice neighbors
often attempt to hide it with hedges, trees and fences, without ever
saying a word.
There's an old saying about walking a mile in another man's shoes.
In this case I would suggest putting on his glasses for a day, and
taking a close
look at your backyard or driveway, wherever you store your outdoor stuff.
See if it's a view you would like having day in and day out. If it's
not, maybe you can install some buffer plantings to spare your
neighbors the eyesore. Or it could be as simple as cleaning your (outdoor) room more often.
Bob
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