Getting Started

A person shared his story about his mother’s property in Middle Tennessee, where a long line of trees marked the boundary between her yard and the neighbor’s. One particular tree had grown large branches over the neighboring property, reaching toward the house and garage. Then one day, the tree began cracking and slowly bent downward…

A person shared his story about planning a new landscape that seemed, at least on paper, to fit neatly inside every neighborhood rule. He wanted four-foot hedges along his side and backyard, with carefully selected trees planted behind them to create additional privacy. The plan sounded like a normal gardening project until his neighbor, who…

A person shared his story about an overlooked corner of his neighborhood that seemed destined to remain nothing more than a patch of grass. The space sat between several community amenities, yet almost nobody used it, while a landscaping company continued mowing it like clockwork. He started wondering whether the forgotten lot could become something…

A homeowner shared his story about an ordinary morning that suddenly became anything but ordinary. He was getting ready for work when an excavator slowly rolled past his house, and at first he assumed the crew was doing routine roadside maintenance. Then he heard the unmistakable sound of wood snapping, and that was when he…

A person shared his story about a tree growing directly along the fence line between two properties in Northern California. As the tree matured, several branches stretched across the boundary and began touching the homeowner’s roofline. What had once looked like a harmless neighborhood tree was suddenly close enough to become a storm-day worry. The…

A person shared his story about living beside a neighboring garden structure that was never meant to become a second living room. The building was little more than a wooden frame with a plastic roof, black tarp walls, and a second-hand door. Unfortunately for the homeowner, the flimsy construction did absolutely nothing to contain sound….

A person shared his story about preparing for a family trip while worrying about the safety of fresh produce. Recent foodborne illness concerns had made the family cautious about leafy greens and berries, two foods they normally enjoyed without much thought. With a vacation approaching, they wanted to know whether eating fresh produce at their…

A person shared his story about a vegetable garden that had been doing beautifully until something began eating through nearly everything in sight. The sweet peppers and tomatoes were suddenly chewed down almost to their roots, leaving behind the kind of destruction that can make a gardener question every decision they made that season. It…

A person shared his story about buying a home in a friendly community where the neighbors closest to her were older residents and families she genuinely liked. She spent a huge amount of time in her garden, growing food for her family and happily giving away the extra produce to people nearby. For a while,…

A person shared his story about coming home one day to discover a large pallet carrying an advertisement for a building and driveway company. He lived on the corner of a quiet cul-de-sac, and the oversized sign had been placed against the corner of his garden wall. Nobody had asked whether he was willing to…