Dear Lola,
I live in a neighborhood where the houses are all connected. So three or six homes are connected to each other. Each have their own front yard and their own backyard. The backyards are all fenced in, but the front yards are not. The front yards are separated by the walkways that lead up to the individual front doors. It is very clear which yard belongs to each unit. My problem is that the neighborhood kids race through all of the front yards while playing and they’ve started beating up my landscaping quite a bit. I do have more plants and flowers growing in the front while most of the units have potted plants on the porch and plain grass in the yard. I’ve talked to the parents from each family and they said they will tell their kids to stay off the grass, but it doesn’t seem to have had any effect. Should I continue to address the parents or work with the kids instead? I don’t want to be a pest, but I also love my landscaping.
Sincerely,
Landscaping Larry
Dear Landscaping Larry,
Well, you started in the right place by addressing this issue with the parents. Whether they actually had that talk with their offspring, I cannot say. It seems that talk or not, the Miniature Humans have not altered course and continue to tear through your landscaping with gleeful abandon.
That’s dastardly behavior right there, I reckon.
Oops. I seem to have slipped into my old man persona while reading your letter. I apologize. I know you need the wisdom of a canine since human intervention has failed you to this point. As for addressing the Miniature Humans directly, you can do so but that technique has backfired on many people in the past. It seems some take offense when adults correct Miniature Humans that do not belong to their family. On the off-chance that the parents are unbothered, I can assure you that the neighborhood youth will label you with an unkind nickname. Grumpy Gus comes immediately to mind.
It’s not often I get to use the word grump, but I feel it applies here.
You purchased a home which is directly attached to other homes. In that scenario, one could certainly expect a bit less privacy and control in areas that feel a bit more public. While your front yards are indeed your own, there is no fencing to visually mark boundaries. It is reasonable that Miniature Humans planning an exciting game of tag will be unable to quickly note where they should and should not run.
Sometimes the tagger is hot on your tail and quick movements must be made!
You did not mention if your community has banned fencing for the front yard, but I would bet you have an HOA that needs to grant permission for such things. It might be worth asking if you could put in a very low decorative fence. Explain this will strictly be something that can be stepped over, it’s simply to deter people from trampling your garden. I should warn you, any overzealous Miniature Human will launch themselves directly over this fencing. Like I said, sometimes the tagger is just waiting to make you ‘it’.
As any Miniature Human knows, being ‘it’ is the bane of all existence.
You also have the water option for solving this problem. A motion sensor sprinkler that sprays anyone who steps onto your grass can be quite effective. However, in my experience it is most effective on adults and feral felines. Miniature Humans sometimes enjoy the splash of water and even indulge in an hour or two of dancing in its mist. You must also use extreme caution of which season this option is being used. It is currently winter and unless you live somewhere extremely warm, this solution could lead to jail time.
The need for bail money could hamper your gardening hobby just a bit.
Luckily for you, I do have a final option. Put potted plants on your porch and reserve all of your delicate gardening for the back fenced area. Think about adding window boxes and hanging plants to showcase some of your favorite blooms for those walking up to your front door. Eventually the neighborhood Miniature Humans will grow up and cease racing through your yard. Then you can move your flowers back where you’d like them.
I bet when this day comes, you’ll wish you could still hear the joyful giggles and see the darting figures of a few Miniature Humans having a fun afternoon.
♥Lola♥
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Shank You Very Much 