Border Conflicts
August 29th, 2006 
by Susan Harris
Here’s another o
bservation from walking a certain unnamed neighborhood, this time about the weird things people do at the borders of their property. I don’t know whose wall came first but here you see Brick Wall sandwiched between its Old Stone Wall neighbors. Now designwise, do people suppose that our eyes stop along the legal property lines and don’t see anything beyond it? Or is it stubborn individualism run amok? The juxtaposition looks jarring to my eyes. (But I could be judging too harshly, coming so soon after the heady success of my amazing combined border.) 
Another border conflict I saw recently was in the front yard of a client who was struggling to fight the ivy encroaching from his neighbors’ property and have the small space between the front walk and the property line be something else - anything but ivy. So I was asked what could he plant that would cover the ground and look good all year and hold back the ivy from the other side of the property line? Wrong question! Stop fighting the losing battle, I said. Although liriope would have met all of his criteria, it would just look silly and contrived and would emphasize the arbitrary line running down the middle of this 10-foot-wide space, not to mention still be a royal pain to keep separate from the ivy. If his neighbors had been willing to join him in the always-satisfying ivy removal project, fine. But short of that, what’s the fricking point, anyway? (Just keep the damn stuff from climbing up shrubs and tree and low enough to prevent its maturing and making babies and it’ll do no harm in a confined space like this.)
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August 29th, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Well, they needed a retaining wall, and perhaps stone was just too costly. Seems it would have looked better to paint that brick wall a stone gray color, just so the brick wouldn’t punctuate the line so much. Or, put up a plain concrete masonry wall and plan on a stone veneer when budget allowed.
Regarding the ivy, I feel that person’s pain. Ideally, neighbors would be a little more sensitive about how what’s growing in their yard can impinge on the people next door. Oh well.
I really enjoy your blog, by the way.
August 29th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
I saw where two neighbors, side by side in a condo, no less, each put up a vinyl coated chain link fence, but instead of tying in on the common side, the fences are about a foot apart. One can only wonder how and who maintains the weird space left in between.
It’a always better when neighbors cooperate along the borders, like you have done with your neighbor.
August 30th, 2006 at 3:33 am
my neighbours don’t garden much.. they just planted ivy on the fence.. well I just keep pruning on my side.. and I like the lush green background it provides.. but.. whenever I get a little bit lazy.. they try to invade my flowerbeds..
I also want to say something about your comment at thisgardenisillegal’s blog..
I feel automns.. are like new beginings.. for reading planning about my garden and crafts.. and springs are another beginning.. life signs are popping around.. so we have two new beginnings.. and a longer life than non gardener..non crafter people =)) I wish you a healthy and happy long life..with love..
August 30th, 2006 at 8:33 pm
I have just started reading your delightful blog. I am hopeless at gardening. It is such a mix of creativity and knowledge and seem to lack both.
August 31st, 2006 at 10:24 am
Just came from Garden Rant and the article in the NYT on the “88 year-old Elizabeth Sheridan, who has planted–make that arranged–a number of fake Christmas trees in her yard and filled them with fake flowers. There is also, according to the story, ‘an inflatable dinosaur, with figurines of animals and various wind chimes.’
Then I arrived here and read, “Now designwise, do people suppose that our eyes stop along the legal property lines and don’t see anything beyond it? Or is it stubborn individualism run amok? The juxtaposition looks jarring to my eyes.”
The lawyer, who is the neighbor of the lady in the NYT article, might have been better saying “The juxtaposition looks jarring to my eyes”, than “It’s like a punch in the face every time I look out the window.”:-)
I agree with you Takoma Gardener, its stubborn individualism. Now what would we do if we lived next to the lady in New York? I don’t know if a well thought out design would be able to help.
September 1st, 2006 at 6:36 pm
I don’t see this as any different from most older neighborhoods I see where one house has chain link, the next wood fencing, the next vinyl, the next nothing, etc. All a mishmash - each homeowner choosing their own style just like the opaint colors that clash with direct neighbors’ homes or the incongruous building styles. (Tudor next to Mediterranean/Spanish next to Modern is my personal blech that I see constantly in wealthy DC streets!) But I say this is 10x better than cookie-cutter suburbs with strict HOAs dictacting right down to the mailbox size, style, and color.
September 4th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
Like Kathleen, my first thought was the cost factor, too - that they couldn’t afford the stone. Is the house made of the same color brick? I can’t tell from the photo.
September 8th, 2006 at 12:31 am
I love your dry stream bed. I am attempting to design one in my garden. Your garden is lovely.