Well, the new dishwasher arrived yesterday as planned -- at about 10 a.m., which means I only wasted a couple of hours sitting around. It could have been worse. (And I didn't really waste the time, as I did get some cleaning and reading done.)
It was great to not have to hand-wash the dishes last night, though I feel like a whiny complainer saying that. I lived without a dishwasher in Manhattan for 10 years and it was never a problem, and I realize many, many people don't have one (including probably many of you reading this blog). But when I lived in New York I ate mostly soup and sandwiches, so I never really cooked much. Dave, on the other hand, is a trained chef and also a whirlwind in the kitchen, and he produces dirty dishes like West Virginia produces coal.
Anyway, while I was waiting for the dishwasher, I went out into the garden to take some pictures of our very red Japanese maple...
...as well as our Amistad sage, which is still blooming. I love that purple against the red and yellow of the autumn leaves. Soon I'll need to bring it in because it will not survive a frost.
As I was taking the photos, someone yelled "Hello! Hello!" I looked around and saw a man atop the roof of the apartment buildings behind us. It was the caretaker, and he asked about the tree-trimming plans. (Remember, he's been after us to trim the wild tangle of trees and bushes at the very back of the property.)
I told him I wanted to come over to his side of the wall and see what it looks like from there. So I met him on the street and he ushered me into the back garden of the apartments.
This is what they see from their side. He's paranoid about the condition of that retaining wall -- though it looked sound enough to me -- and he would ideally like us to take down both of those elder trees, but I'd rather not do that. I have some ideas for what I can tell the tree crew, though, to balance his wishes with our own. I think if I have them trim the shrubbery away from the wall and take out that overhanging ivy, he might be happy. Or happier, at least.
I keep asking myself if I would even be proceeding with this project if it weren't for him. Probably not. From our perspective, that area is overgrown, but not unbearably so, and I keep thinking about all the birds and squirrels and maybe even bats and who knows what else that might live in there. But we are in a city, not the countryside, and I'd like to maintain good relationships with the neighbors. It's a balancing act.
By the way, the five-eyed mug has been a hit with the kids in the library. Several of them have said they like it! Maybe we'll make it a prize in some future library contest.
26 comments:
The overhanging ivy probably should be restrained..although as you say it will harbour wildlife. Cities need greenery, but if that is weighing down a tree...so cutting back shrubbery from the wall should keep him happy and happy neighbours are what we all need.
The wall does look as if it could do with some tlc, cleaning and pointing..but I bet they do it with cement not proper mortar!
Your garden is still looking colourful. A sight to cheer.
Steve, I am an interested home gardener so I did a little reading on the Elder tree in the UK and your locality. They live about 60 years (relatively short for a tree) and get up to 50 feet tall. Most importantly in your case, they are one of those trees that grow back from the cut stump with multiple branches. Somebody will have to “deal” with them at some point—especially in a city garden of that size. I always think about the longer range picture when thinking about trees. Sounds like the neighboring caretaker may be, too.
There is nothing whiny about not having a dishwasher. Handwashing is backbreaking for me now.
I do like a nice red Maple.
Odd he would suggest taking down trees in YOUR yard. I can see wanting to clean it up from HIS side, but does he have the right to do anything on your side of the fence?
Steve, that first photo with the Japanese maple is a stunner. Absolutely.
I have the same Amistad sage in my yard- was here when I moved in. I've always called it salvia and was glad to see when I looked it up that it goes by that name too.
I don't know what to say about those trees. I am no arborist nor am I an expert on trees. But your point was good about living in a city. Not everyone who chooses to live in a city appreciates and respects the presence of non-domesticated species, I suppose.
Sigh.
I lived without a dishwasher for a while in Ohio and it was no fun because Mike is also a cook. HOWEVER, I did the dishes every day, which was a good thing. These days all the stuff we don't put in the dishwasher (pots & plastics) just sit around until I get to them. Which is less than ideal. Ha!
If I were you I wold feel just as ambivalent about trimming those trees. Still, it sounds like you have no choice. Talk to your tree trimmer, tell him you want the the trees to still be alive and happy after the trim.
The tree thing sounds like a reasonable settlement, given (as you said) the neighboring thing. And, perhaps on your side, they will still find a safe space. I would think they would want to keep things as a "privacy" barrier, but to each their own. (My next door neighbor removed all the shrubbery and such of his back garden and now has a lovely view of his neighbor's pool, trampoline and loud dog! I think he was sorry about that.) I'm betting the trimmer will be very hapy to work with you.
I remember my handwashing days (still do it at the lake). A dishwasher is much better! Your trees/sage are gorgeous.
The only thing I'd clear up is the ivy, which is deadly to walls. That might improve the area and the caretaker's mood.
I haven't had a dishwasher for about fifteen years, despite being a cook and creating a full sink of dishes daily, even cooking for one. I had a couple of disasters, one fire, one flood, with dishwashers while I was full-time care giving a quadriplegic husband, so I decided to dump the dishwasher. Just couldn't afford another emergency on top of the medical ones I was dealing with.
But some people simply can't, with dishes! I get that.
The red maple 🍁 is gorgeous!
Tree trimming is not in my playbook!
I have always hand washed dishes ... childhood through adulthood! You have to wash everything before putting it all in the machine, so what's the point?
Divides between properties can cause problem, particularly when it comes to trees and shrubs.
We have something called a Chinese Elm that grows like crazy and spreads its seeds. I've been told it's actually a weed and we had a landscaper come and take them all out so our back yard is now barren. But it's a relief because the thing was taking over.
Your Japanese Maple is stunning. I like to thin things out in the garden. Thinning and shaping trees often makes the tree healthier. Ivy can damage trees and walls and needs to be restrained.
I can see both sides about the tree/shrubbery situation. It might not be true, but I've always heard that ivy and things growing on a wall can damage the grout/mortar causing structural problems. Maybe that's what worries him?
The Japanese Maple is gorgeous!! 🍁
I do find it interesting that the caretakers for another property feels perfectly justified in telling you what to do with your yard. The ivy should be cut back, but you'll never get rid of it. It's immortal.
Your maple tree is looking pretty spectacular. And, I don't really see anything offensive about your garden from the other side. I can't imagine why anyone would find that view a problem. People are a funny lot.
I absolutely love the beauty of Japanese maple trees in the fall. That photo really captures the vivid red. I knew that the students would like that mug. After years in the classroom I have a sixth sense about what kids like and dislike. Congrats on the new dishwasher!
Kids Will Be Kids
Cheers
Okay, I can see the caretaker's concerns. And I'm one who likes things wild! But I think your plan should take care of the issues. You're right, living in an urban area always requires a balance between what you might like and what your neighbours might like. And we all want to be good neighbours. I think :)
I love my dishwasher and dread the day it might stop working. But now I get to worry about fires and floods due to my beloved machine, thanks to the comments!
That acer is amazing
So glad the new dishwasher is in and it wasn’t another one of those days spent waiting. If I were your neighbors I possibly wouldn’t like the look over the wall either, but I don’t think I’d expect you to do anything about it. Keeping the peace would be the only reason I think to clean it up at least a bit. We a dishwasher and don’t side it. I almost never lived withou a dishwasher in my life s9 I don’t really know e why I stopped using it ex pet that our dishwasher in Sevilla was painfully inefficient and ran all night, so o got out of the habit. Now I’m afraid because our old dishwasher is even 10 years older.
The trees seem far enough away that the critters wouldn't get into any residences. That would be my main concern. Trees and bushes very near my house can be a lovely nest for rodents who then infiltrate other areas. I do have a cat but she's lazy as h*ll. I laughed about Dave and the dishes; when my older daughter comes over, I make sure that my dishwasher is empty. By the time she leaves a day later, I've already run the dishwasher when, left to myself, I don't need to do so for several days (a week?) at a time.
After five days without a dishwasher I was almost demented.(I wrote about this episode about eight years ago). I had two visits from a repair man who appeared to know nothing although being extremely likeable and friendly and the local engineer for the make of machine and trained by them. When no progress was being made I rang the shop and begged for a new machine immediately and sod the guarantee etc. They brought one the same day and took the dud one away. I just paid up for the new one and vowed never to buy that make again. It had been the most expensive on the market. I now buy the cheapest every time (I later bought the cheapest washing machine).
the sage is a beautiful purple. Trimming the greenery away from that fence might be enough to please him.
GZ: If he wants to repoint the wall, that needs to be done from his side, anyway. I agree about the weight of the ivy -- it's probably a problem.
Don: Thanks for the info! Yes, I know they're not high-quality or long-lived trees, but at the same time, I don't feel like we can cut them down, given that they don't belong to us! I think the landlords would have to make that decision.
Andrew: It can be a strain on the back, yes.
Bob: He doesn't have the right to do anything without our permission, but he can certainly ask. I think that growth probably IS a little out of hand.
Ms Moon: Yeah, at times like this I wish we lived in a place with some true wilderness! We keep the sage in a pot and bring it in during the winter. I believe Salvia is the latin name for sage, or at least certain types of sage. (?)
Bug: Plastic containers are the worst. I hand-wash all of those too and it's a pain.
Colette: Yeah, that's my plan. I want to try to strike a balance to keep the trees and some of the brush while making the neighbors happy.
Jeanie: Well, that's the thing -- be careful what you ask for, right? Do they really want to be looking into our garden? And do I want to be looking into their windows?
Boud: A FIRE? Yikes. The thing about the ivy is, it's great for pollinators, particularly in fall and winter when a lot of other flowers have gone by the wayside.
Marcia: I love all your little emojis! Yeah, we rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, but we don't quite wash them.
Red: Good fences make good neighbors, right?
Catalyst: Yeah, nobody wants to mess with invasive species. In our case, at least the ivy and the elder are native. They're just overgrown!
Susan: Yes, you're right -- I think shaping these trees may help them grow more vigorously.
Kelly: I've also heard ivy can be damaging. But there's no way we'd ever be able to remove it all!
Allison: Yeah, exactly. You can't kill that stuff.
Sharon: I agree, if it were me, I wouldn't have a problem with that view. But as I said, he's obsessed about protecting the wall.
Michael: Yeah, I knew they'd go for it too! (And so did Disney, I guess.)
Padre: That's for sure.
Jenny-O: I know! A fire had never crossed my mind! Yes, I think the caretaker has a point about the extent of the overgrowth.
John: Isn't it nice? It's grown a lot in the almost ten years (!) we've been here.
Mitchell: Yeah, it's a matter of keeping the peace. European appliances in general seem less powerful than American ones, which are huge and take lots of energy!
Margaret: Yeah, critters getting into houses or buildings aren't really the issue. I think he's more concerned about the trees and vines uprooting the wall.
Rachel: Well THAT's interesting. You'd think more expensive would equate to better quality, but I guess not. I think repairmen can't really do much with these modern appliances, which are all computerized.
River: Yes, I love that sage!
Lord help us if Dave and my wife ever get together. When my wife starts cooking, I will wash two or three sinks full of stuff that can't go into the dishwasher plus run the dishwasher to clear the counters again. When I cook, I generally wash as I go so when the meal is done, the dishes are done as well.
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