Gardening

[Gutmutter]

When my neighbor died, whoever sold off the property sold it in 2 pieces and they built a house in the yard next to mine. It was the old lady's garden and orchard that she poured a lot of love into. All those trees, rhubarb, raspberries, and strawberries were just bulldozed over. They also bulldozed half of the huge forsythia that straddles our property line and I noticed yesterday that the remnants of that are blooming in the big pile of bulldozed crap along my back border. Could I get some opinions on whether it would be ethical to "free" some of those condemned forsythia to reinforce my borders now that there is a house looming over my yard? Nobody has bought the house yet.

[nlmcp]

I think it would be totally ethical. They are just going to toss it anyway. If you think you can grow it, go get it.

[Gutmutter]

Are you kidding? Forsythia can be started by cutting a branch and sticking it in the ground (which is another option) but these are already rooted. I can literally stick my arm over the line and yank it into my yard.

[nlmcp]

Then do it. It's just going to be burned or chipped or whatever they do with stuff like that.

[Yardgnome]

Gut, I definitely think get it. Those plants are just going to get pulled up anyways so they might as well be growing in your yard.

[Broadway]

Me, three! Reach your hand over and rescue the poor plant! What a shame you didn't have the opportunity to save the others as well.

[Marleybone]

Go for it, Gut. Go liberate as much of it as you can get. That had to have just made you feel sick.

[AJane]

Why wouldn't the new owners ask their neighbours if they wanted anything before razing a garden? What a waste. I would go over there and just dig up whatever I could.

What's all this talk about lilacs blooming? My tulips haven't even bloomed yet. We had SNOW last Wednesday...good thing I didn't buy any plants yet.

[Gutmutter]

I was going to mow today, but my mower isn't working. Blech. This is the part of home maintenance I hate. Now I have to run down a mower repair service and have it taken care of. I ended up clearing more grassed over garden, so the day wasn't a waste.

[Muduh]

Gut, I hope that you have that little sucker planted and watered by now. I'm betting that a contractor bought the land, right? Around here, they never attempt to save anything. Too bad you didn't know ahead of time and could have gotten more of ther plants.

I often think how sad I'll be when we have to sell and move into a retiremnt community, or at least a place with less yard. We have worked on this yard for over twenty-five years.

Speaking of Forsythia, my girlfriend had one that they never pruned and it was huge and shaggy looking. Her husband refused to trim it and this spring he cut it to the ground. It was in her front yard and I always loved to look at it. Her yard looks very bare now.