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No more silence is golden

(27 Posts)
travelsafar Thu 23-May-19 18:42:53

As soon as the sun shines out come the strimmers, jet washers,and lawn mowers.Either electric or petrol driven.Our ears are assaulted and also our nostrils, the smell of petrol is overpowering sometimes.We are surrounded by neighbours on both sides and at the bottom of our garden who see the sun as signal to 'perform these rituals' We are also subjected to bonfires at different stages, no matter if your windows are open or there is washing on the line. The days of sitting in the garden to enjoy a summer evening are long gone for us,no more golden silence.

Gonegirl Thu 23-May-19 18:45:46

I suppose most people have to work during the day and the evenings are the only time they can cut their grass.

Not as bad as the pong of barbeques tbh.

Gonegirl Thu 23-May-19 18:46:13

And we get that on a Sunday afternoon. Grrr.

NotSpaghetti Thu 23-May-19 18:48:04

I’m with you on that Gonegirl - BBQ smells are worse than the noise I think.
Truly horrible.

EllanVannin Thu 23-May-19 18:50:56

Smells are soon dispelled here by the permanent sea breeze. It's just a relief that woodburners have calmed a bit as that's what gets up my nostrils and irritates the sinuses during winter months-----everything else I can put up with.

gillybob Thu 23-May-19 18:51:46

Not sure when us working people are meant to cut the grass if not on an evening or weekend?

Elegran Thu 23-May-19 19:29:45

The sun makes the grass grow. Without it there would be no grass to cut, but no sunshine to sit out in either. I wonder what would be your complaint if the grass were never cut? That your neighbours neglect their garden?

It isn't a ritual, it is an attempt to keep the blasted stuff from becoming a jungle - rather as the vacuum cleaner is an attempt to keep on top of the chaos indoors.

Cold Thu 23-May-19 19:41:13

Well I live in a rural area without immediate neighbours but we still have the tractors, combine harvesters, muck spreaders (close the windows!), potato planting and picking machines .....

Then the real noise of the wildlife - especially foxes and cranes!

phoenix Thu 23-May-19 19:43:11

I remember posting about this last year, the noise (especially strimmers, my ex husband would go out , topless of couse, and strim a huge area of our garden, I wonder if the screenwriters for Poldark were passing and got inspiredconfused irritating self loving git ) and the smell.

And then, oh then! The glorious smell when the tractors moved into the field at the end of the garden to cut the grass! The windows in the home office (smallest bedroom) were oped, and the lovely smell permeated the whole of the upstairs! smile

SpringyChicken Thu 23-May-19 19:48:22

I cannot believe lawns are being mown every evening.

dizzyblonde Thu 23-May-19 20:01:49

All our neighbours are very peaceful except for the noisy family. Throughout the summer they will have numerous parties lasting until about 2am, they appear to be doing karaoke and definitely shouldn’t give up the day job!
I am very tempted to go and knock on their door at 4.45am when I leave for work but I’m generally too tired.
I don’t mow our lawn after about 5pm or before 9am and most of our neighbours are the same. The odd time it’s later I don’t object.

ClareAB Thu 23-May-19 20:06:56

It drives me mad too. It would be so lovely if we had one day a week were no one was allowed to use power tools of any kind. Apparently Germany does this on a Sunday. Bliss!

Tangerine Thu 23-May-19 22:19:08

If you work full-time, it's hard not to mow and strim lawn during the evenings. If you leave it til the weekend, it might rain!

I wouldn't do it after about 8.30 pm or before 9.00 am.

It doesn't worry me what my neighbours do.

Sara65 Thu 23-May-19 22:25:25

I don’t find the noise of garden machinery particularly annoying, it has to be done, I am in agreement about smells though, on occasion the local farmer must spray something with the most disgusting smell, if your washing is out it all has to be taken in and washed again! Wherever you live, it’s never going to be perfect

M0nica Fri 24-May-19 20:14:07

When the sun comes out, the garden starts growing so lawns need cutting. With our weather, you grab the moment and the weather when it comes.

I find the sound of a distant lawn mower quite pleasant. It speaks of families being at home and getting on with domestic chores and enjoying having an opportunity to get out of doors. lawn mowing is usually followed by the sounds of children playing or couples are happily pottering round the garden together weeding and planting.

blondenana Fri 24-May-19 20:30:28

I think lawnmowers and BBCs are the signs that summer is here, but i do object to one of neighbours, a young couple who have their music so loud i cant hear my radio or TV They also have 2 young children, how they sleep through it i dont know

dragonfly46 Fri 24-May-19 20:41:01

I have a robot mower which is silent ?

TwiceAsNice Fri 24-May-19 21:10:11

I can live with the machine noise. When I’m in my daughters garden at the weekend it’s the two constantly yapping dogs next door that drive me mad. They don’t even look like proper dogs but little rats

Summerlove Fri 24-May-19 21:14:24

....when would you suggest people do their outside chores?
Most people work 9-5 m-f. Even at that, there’s No guarantee they wouldn’t be doing it during naptime if they were home to do their yard.

I love the smell of people using their bbq, I hate the smell of wood stove/camp fire. I swear my neighbours are trying to force me to keep my windows closed, But it’s their right to use that as a heating source if they want to. This is part of living with people.

retirementisgreat Fri 24-May-19 21:34:52

What to do? My neighbour has seven grandchildren who visit regularly - several times a week. The four year old boy is a pest. He and the other children play out in the front. They use my handrail as a swing. Just lately it has amused them to ring my doorbell and knock on the window. They run into their Nan’s house and watch to see if I look out. Tonight I heard an enormous thud on my window, didn’t know it was a fist or a stone. I shouted at the boy through the window. He thought it was very funny. I went outside and stood on my path. Eventually their Nan came out and apologised and said he’d been told off. He’s only four she said. Why can’t they supervise these children. My grandchildren would never be allowed to go onto someone else’s property. And he’s broken the back garden fence by climbing under is frequently - NaN knows about it too but he’s not stopped from doing it. I wanted pretty ornamental stones in my front garden but have now given up this idea as they’d be too much of a temptation!

lemongrove Fri 24-May-19 21:42:18

Blimey! grin

Lawns have to be mowed, although a strimmer sound is annoying if it goes on and on.
I don’t mind most outdoorsy niffs, except when local farmers start on the muck spreading.

merlotgran Fri 24-May-19 22:04:37

I'm glad our nearest neighbours are half a mile away.

They'd never put up with DH strimming/mowing/hedge trimming/cursing and shouting at barking dogs if they lived any closer.

At least we no longer have a cockerel. grin

retirementisgreat Fri 24-May-19 22:12:06

So Sorry travelsafar - I seem to have put my post in the wrong place!

Anja Fri 24-May-19 22:49:40

dragonfly another vote here for robot mowers. Lovely and quiet and no fumes.

KatyK Sat 25-May-19 09:43:52

I rather like these noises. Sounds of summer smile