Garden Follow-up
I just had a donkey contest with the landlord. Unfortunately he is the one with the upper hand and this is something we both know.
He wants the lawn that he spent "a good deal of money on." He insists that nothing - not even a small table - be put on it, because the lawn there will die. I want my plants to not be under the building eaves, because experience indicates they will die there. There is too little light and they miss the rainfall.
When I moved in, there was nothing but hard dirt. I have rosebushes several years old, sky vines (which the workmen hacked up removing from the fence), clematis, and a culinary herb garden.
He absolutely refuses to budge on putting anything at all on the lawn. Nothing. He also says they're going to be putting in flowers (so, what, are they going to dig up my alyssium in front of my window?) and that he was willing to try to work with me. He suggested that I could plant them in the front yard garden (ha! We're several units down from there!) or try to keep them in back along the garage, but that's a worse option than under the eaves.
When I continued to hold my ground that I did not want my plants going on the near side because they would die, he asked me if I wanted to turn in my notice. Well we don't have anywhere to move, so, I said I would look around this evening. (I also didn't say yes or no.)
I know the property technically belongs to them. I know the lease probably says we need their permission to put anything on the grounds. But dammit, for roughly two years WE have beautified the yard; WE have dug up the clay to plant flowers; those are still MY favorite rosebushes and we were not even given so much as a courtesy note before the vines were ripped away from the fence and they have laid down an ultimatum that condemns my nursery to a lingering death from sub-standard light.
I'm especially pissed off because the cilantro has just really taken off, and we use it extensively in cooking.
Maybe I could try to hang things against the back fence. Or maybe from stakes - but I'm not certain he wouldn't kick up a fuss about punching little holes in the ground, either.
I appreciate the beautifying effort, I really do. But not at the expense of the things I have nurtured to be beautiful.
Besides, I hate lawns. They're water wasters and have no personality. I'd at least do a lawn of clover or chamomile.
X-Post (more or less) from my own journal.
He wants the lawn that he spent "a good deal of money on." He insists that nothing - not even a small table - be put on it, because the lawn there will die. I want my plants to not be under the building eaves, because experience indicates they will die there. There is too little light and they miss the rainfall.
When I moved in, there was nothing but hard dirt. I have rosebushes several years old, sky vines (which the workmen hacked up removing from the fence), clematis, and a culinary herb garden.
He absolutely refuses to budge on putting anything at all on the lawn. Nothing. He also says they're going to be putting in flowers (so, what, are they going to dig up my alyssium in front of my window?) and that he was willing to try to work with me. He suggested that I could plant them in the front yard garden (ha! We're several units down from there!) or try to keep them in back along the garage, but that's a worse option than under the eaves.
When I continued to hold my ground that I did not want my plants going on the near side because they would die, he asked me if I wanted to turn in my notice. Well we don't have anywhere to move, so, I said I would look around this evening. (I also didn't say yes or no.)
I know the property technically belongs to them. I know the lease probably says we need their permission to put anything on the grounds. But dammit, for roughly two years WE have beautified the yard; WE have dug up the clay to plant flowers; those are still MY favorite rosebushes and we were not even given so much as a courtesy note before the vines were ripped away from the fence and they have laid down an ultimatum that condemns my nursery to a lingering death from sub-standard light.
I'm especially pissed off because the cilantro has just really taken off, and we use it extensively in cooking.
Maybe I could try to hang things against the back fence. Or maybe from stakes - but I'm not certain he wouldn't kick up a fuss about punching little holes in the ground, either.
I appreciate the beautifying effort, I really do. But not at the expense of the things I have nurtured to be beautiful.
Besides, I hate lawns. They're water wasters and have no personality. I'd at least do a lawn of clover or chamomile.
X-Post (more or less) from my own journal.