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mjh
Supporter
Username: Mjh
Post Number: 679
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 11:10 am: | 
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OK, so it's not life-threatening or world-altering, but this drives me nuts every time I walk in M/SO.
If you have hedges/bushes/trees next to the sidewalk, could you please trim them back a bit? Why oh why must we swat them back and otherwise do battle with them, nevermind take our life in our hands by walking in the street to avoid the mess.
One such home in my area is right next to an elementary school, and at least 100 people walk by every day when school is in session. It's like walking through a jungle!
Live green stuff on bare arms or legs gives me a rash, so I get doubly irritated.
Pretty please????? Honestly, if you don't have a hedge trimmer, a scissors or knife will usually suffice to clear a path on the sidewalk. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 14999
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 11:43 am: |
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I'm with you. Some of these things block the sidewalk completely.
I, too, have to admit that after I pass them, I don't think about the problem, so I feel wrong about making an issue of it. But I do wish the owners were more considerate.
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Mr. Big Poppa
Citizen
Username: Big_poppa
Post Number: 776
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 11:58 am: |
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How about that one block on Valley between Tuscan and Harvard! How many people have been swatted by the bush and tree branches there!?!?@?!?
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ril
Citizen
Username: Ril
Post Number: 574
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 12:11 pm: |
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The house on the corner of Sloan St. & 2nd, near the firehouse (and in the winter, they don't clear/salt the sidewalk, either) |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 8347
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 12:12 pm: |
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In theory, I agree. But, I have a problem with my bushes.
They were allowed to grow pretty big before we bought the house. Because of the type of hedge they are, I can't just "cut it back"; once the undergrowth turns to wood, that's it. So, if I clear it back, I have sticks coming out onto the sidewalk. I take the lesser of two evils & let a little foliage hang out. It's softer. It doesn't cove the whole sidewalk and we prune as much as possible.
The alternative is to rip them all out and plant something else. My $15k fantasy. Perhaps, after the bathroom, garage, roof and furnace, we'll do that. |
Monster©
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 4044
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 12:24 pm: |
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I went out one night and clipped back someone's bushes myself, the way I see it is that if you are allowed to trim your neighbors tree limbs that hang over your property, you are allowed to trim there bushes if they are hanging over public property, I am the public.
I especially hate it when they get in the way and you can't see if a car is coming, making it a little more dangerous to pull out. |
fabulouswalls
Citizen
Username: Fabulouswalls
Post Number: 133
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 12:26 pm: |
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I agree. It is pretty annoying. I also get a rash when I brush up against hedges on the sidewalk. My neighbor very recently cut their hedges back so it doesn't happen. I also have gone to other neighbor's homes with clippers in hand and volunteered to cut them. They are usually happy to oblige. |
Eats Shoots & Leaves
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 3504
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 12:32 pm: |
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I walk to the train every morning, and if has rained the night before I have to walk half the way in the street or else get soaked by people's wet low-hanging tree branches (and I am only 5' tall!) and sidewalk-imposing shrubs.
I like the idea of clipping people's bushes and trees at night. I will start with my landlord's! Sorry, Greenetree, looks like one morning you will wake up to "twigs and seeds" after the Topiary Avengers get through with this town!
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Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 15001
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 12:33 pm: |
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Sticks stick out only for so long. They later sprout leaves, and the bush looks good once again. Cut them back, please. It's the public's sidewalk.
I've been tempted to cut them myself, too. One is far taller than a human, and it would be a big job. I guess I'll skip at least that one. But man, it totally blocks the sidewalk.
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mjh
Supporter
Username: Mjh
Post Number: 681
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 1:29 pm: |
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I'm so glad to know I'm not alone in getting peeved over this!
Night clipping sounds good to me....... But the hedge trimmer is pretty loud. Guess I'll just use the clippers. |
blackcat
Citizen
Username: Blackcat
Post Number: 664
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 1:49 pm: |
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You should always use clippers Just make believe you're Joan Crawford clipping the hellout of rose bushes after the studio dumped you. pLease refer to Mommy Dearest;) |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 8349
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 2:17 pm: |
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Nope - not these bushes, Tom. Not all greenery combs back. But, FWIW, I am paying to have several trees trimmed, including removing a very larger feeder branch (20" diameter, 50' long) that hangs completely over my neighbor's yard. They've complained for years, I've told them that they are allowed to take it down, but they haven't. Another, even larger, branch hangs entirely over the other neighbor's roof. I'm paying to remove that, too. I happen to think that it is the neighborly thing to do, although it would be equally neighborly if they offered to chip in a little for these limbs that are not legally "my property".
I'm also paying to prune the Town tree because those are the limbs hanging over the sidewalk.
So, I have no guilt about my neighborly-ness or condition of my hedges.
My sidewalk hedges stick out all of 5 inches. I have removed several over the years when they got too "woody" to prune and blocked the sidewalk. Folks who walk by may actually notice the holes in my hedge, which are the only thing that give my back yard a bit of privacy.
When folks want to help me chip in to maintain the sidewalks and grass strip for which I am legally responsible, yet don't own, they can trim the hedges. |
mjh
Supporter
Username: Mjh
Post Number: 683
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 2:46 pm: |
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Greenetree;
It's obvious that you care for your property/lawn/garden and the overhang is not due to thoughtlessness. Sounds to me like anyone who walked by would be able to see that, and easily forgive the 5 inches.
It's those who don't even think about it, or (even worse) think about it but still don't act that aren't easily forgiven.
If anyone peeks through the holes in your hedge, keep in mind that it may be that they just want to see the garden you work so hard on (that would be me)! |
dave23
Citizen
Username: Dave23
Post Number: 1860
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 2:55 pm: |
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A neighbor of mine has a bush like one that Greene describes. It's right on the sidewalk and used to be a bit of a pain to walk around. The neighbor is very thoughtful and often cuts it back, but it really looks terribly ugly for a long time after. |
TomR
Citizen
Username: Tomr
Post Number: 1193
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 4:34 pm: |
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If it happens to be a Township Tree, you should prune it soon.
http://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/vertical/Sites/%7B920D5C3F-DE44-4EFC-8A19-300504E 303FC%7D/uploads/%7B86602D36-92FB-422E-8A2E-43F8A71A2B87%7D.PDF |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 8353
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 5:01 pm: |
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Re: the bush growing back. I know this sadly from first-hand experience. I tried cutting them back a few years ago. The new growth was all at the end of the limbs, so by the time the hedges filled out to the point of not looking anorexic, they were right back where they started. It was my lesson in the difference between "pruning" and "trimming".
Good point re: the tree, Tom. One is a Town tree, but I discussed it with the arborist & we are actually going to make it healthier & more beautiful. A few years back, some offending branches were lopped off by DPW and, to this day, it looks like a gangly teenager who doesn't know what to do with his limbs.
I'm gonna turn him into a total stud!
It was supposed to be done today, but the storm interferred; the company has been busy with wind-felled trees. With any luck, Monday.
BTW - I don't blame DPW; I think that, overall, they do a good job maintaining our town landscaping. But they don't have the time to give the same artistry to each shade tree that a private company does. |
TomR
Citizen
Username: Tomr
Post Number: 1194
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 5:37 pm: |
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If its not done before the ordinance passes, get the permit.
There's no exemption for doing a good job.
TomR |
Jersey_Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 1392
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 10:05 pm: |
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Greentree,
Are yours privet? I'm doing a privet rescussitation on our hedges, and I've done a lot of reading about them. They will tolerate an aggressive pruning. The secret seems to be cutting them in a wedge with the top thinner than the bottom. This allows sun to hit the lower branches so they leaf out. You have to make them "anorexic" for the sun to get through.
I didn't like the "anorexic" look either, so I did our corner property in stages. The stage I did last year has grown in nicely and it's actually getting taller and lusher. I keep pruning it thin on top, and that keeps the branches from growing out into the sidewalk.
There were some privet that were so dead that I cut them back severely, and they're regrowing. It's definitely a project, but it's doable. And, oh so satisfying to look at when it's just been trimmed.
J.B. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 8355
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 11:28 pm: |
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I wish. I have a fascination with privet & that's what I would replace it with. Or not. Something dense and trimmable.
It's some species of arbor vitae (which I hate; it's so friggin' common and ugly when it gets woody or unhappy). It's not the current fashion of "Xmas tree" shape. It's probably 30-40 years old. |
Sandi and Paul
Citizen
Username: Momsandi
Post Number: 94
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 12:02 am: |
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Greenetree, we have a similar hedge to the one you describe. We had to cut it so far back that the street side was almost even with the trunks. It actually looked kind of interesting with all wood on the one side and the top and back all green. Kind of haunting! Now it has greened out nicely. It no longer sticks out the way it did. I suppose in a couple of years we will have to begin the process again. |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 7778
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 7:57 am: |
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What about persons who plant flowers too close to the sidewalk? One house I pass on my daily walk to/from the train station has a lovely flower garden along the house side of the sidewalk during spring and summer but the flowering plants extend more than halfway across the sidewalk making passage by them extremely difficult.
Sometimes a little thought as to what the garden will look like once it matures can avoid a lot of the problems we are discussing now. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 8360
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 11:41 am: |
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Or just splitting the perennials. I have some Shasta daisies and sedum that I am going to split this Fall. They are taking over everything and just starting to bend over to the sidewalk. It's taken them about 4 years to get to this point.
I see what Joan talks about with lillies a lot.
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