5 Landscaping Tips To Build Good Neighbor Relations
Your home should be your haven, but your neighbor's home is also their haven. How can the way you manage your landscape help keep both parties happy and promote good relations between you? Here are a few landscape design and maintenance tips to do just that.
1. Watch Your Drainage
How does rain, snow, and sprinkler water drain throughout your yard? Poor drainage can harm not only your own landscape and house foundation but also your neighbors. Pay attention to pooling water, water that drains toward fences, and downspouts to ensure that your water doesn't cause your neighbor a headache.
2. Don't Block Views
Before adding elements to your landscape, think about them from the perspective of your surrounding neighbors. Will a tree block their view of the sunset? Could you place a shed or pergola differently so as to be invisible to them? Will your front yard landscaping block the view of cars and pedestrians on a busy corner? While your interests take first priority in your own landscape, being kind helps everyone get along.
3. Care for Your Trees
Often, the largest landscape elements shared by neighboring yards are trees. Trees can be beautiful and enjoyable for both yards, but only if they're well cared for. Keep your trees pruned on a regular basis. Keep them healthy and pest-free. Remove any potential falling hazards—on either side of a fence. And watch that the roots don't cause ground-level issues on either property.
4. Think About Noise Pollution
Your outdoor activities don't just impact neighbors visually; they can also create noise pollution. A few adjustments minimize this potential irritant among neighbors. For instance, if you place your entertainment area farther from a neighbor's yard or put a solid structure between it and them, less noise will reach them. You might also use landscape tricks like bubbling water features and sound-absorbing greenery to block noise.
5. Make It Look Nice
Don't focus all the attractive elements of your yard inward. Create a yard that not only looks nice to you and your friends but also from your neighbor's viewpoint. For example, fence etiquette suggests that you place the most attractive side of a fence so that it faces outward toward neighbors. This may be something of a sacrifice, but it reduces annoyance and resentment.
Where to Start
Could your yard design use improvement in any of these areas? Giving them attention will help you maintain better neighbor relations and enjoy your outdoor spaces with less stress. Start today by meeting with a local landscape service, such as Estate Landscape.