click to enlargeThere is an interesting phenomenon occurring in my neighborhood. Some neighbors, who just three short years ago paid close to a million dollars for single family homes, have completely neglected their yards since moving in.
I’m not talking about folks who may let the lawn get a little tall before they cut it. I’m talking about total and absolute neglect. The house in the picture was completed in April 2006. That’s the last time it had a real yard. Now it consists of just weeds and dirt. Notice the nice trim job around the fire hydrant.
What I don’t get is why these people bought a house with a yard in the first place. This house isn’t the only one either. Three or four doors down there is another three year old home with nothing but clover and dandelions for a yard and there are other landscaping deprived yards sprinkled around the neighborhood too. They all have another thing in common, no outside spaces like decks or patios.
These aren’t vacant homes either. People actually live in them. I know, I’ve seen them, occasionally, though seldom in the yard.
I’m not talking about folks who may let the lawn get a little tall before they cut it. I’m talking about total and absolute neglect. The house in the picture was completed in April 2006. That’s the last time it had a real yard. Now it consists of just weeds and dirt. Notice the nice trim job around the fire hydrant.
What I don’t get is why these people bought a house with a yard in the first place. This house isn’t the only one either. Three or four doors down there is another three year old home with nothing but clover and dandelions for a yard and there are other landscaping deprived yards sprinkled around the neighborhood too. They all have another thing in common, no outside spaces like decks or patios.
These aren’t vacant homes either. People actually live in them. I know, I’ve seen them, occasionally, though seldom in the yard.
11 comments:
WB
I guess you don't live in Columbia.
HH
hh,
Have you driven through some Columbia neighborhoods lately?
This is not just an EC phenomenon.
-wb
When I see dandelions I think, THANK GOD those people have some common sense!
Y'all with nothing but green grass are artificial-looking, and worse, destroying our environment with toxic chemicals. It's my world too, and no one has the right to pollute what I have to breathe and drink.
wb
you're correct. Columbia is not utopia. It's still pretty nice. Where I come from we did it the old fashioned, Mother Nature way.
Your lawn was an assortment of every imaginable grass, weed and plant known to that area. We did keep it mowed.
HH
Anon 7:18...
you are welcome to your opinions, however, i DO have the right to a dandelion free yard. One of the simple freedoms that come with our form of gov't.
There are still limits to what you can limit I do on my own property.
Donovan
The most like reason is that they are house poor. Kind of hard to pay for landscaping, when you can barely pay for your mortgage. I bet if you went into these homes, they are probabley devoid of furniture as well. Look at their widows, three years later and they still have the temporary paper shades up. Too much house, nd not enough money.
The right to water absent carcinogens is not comparable to the right to kill an edible weed.
It's a shame your otherwise perfect neighborhood is now tainted by these awful neglectful homeowners. How dare they not install a deck or patio either!
People are depressed and poor and the last thing on their minds is the state of their yard. Feeding their family, staying in their overpriced cookie-cutter home, or finding a job is probably occupying their time.
Please find something more significant to blog about.
Anon 11:27,
Last time I checked, WB could blog about anything he wants.. it is his blog after all..... specifically something in his neighborhood. Cookie-cutter homes?
That describes all of Columbia. Over-priced describes everyone home in the County.
Anon 7:27,
the next time I get ready to spray my yard, I’ll call you over and you can eat all the dandelions you like (prior to spraying). Chances are high that you get more carcinogens from the out-gassing of the carpet in your home or from your car then you do from anyone treating their yard. There is a reason why such products are regulated and tested by various agencies. We would not be able to feed our planet without similar products in the agricultural industry.
Donovan
Donovan,
Don't get me started on corporate farming.
Let's just sit down to a nice bowl of dandelion salad with a roasted dandelion root tea.
Cheers! It's Friday.
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