Getting Started

A person shared his story about a tiny black cat named Scout who normally treated strangers like they were monsters from another planet. She was nervous around unfamiliar people, dogs, and practically anyone who wandered too close to the porch. But one particular neighbor had become a serious problem, especially because he repeatedly crossed boundaries…

A person shared his story about an older woman who moved into one of the small apartments next to his home, and the trouble seemed to begin almost immediately. The apartment complex already had a poor reputation because of its condition and the landlord’s reputation for neglect. Nobody expected a new tenant to turn the…

For eleven years, a homeowner had treated his front garden as one of the quietest parts of his life. The garden was private, fenced, and carefully maintained, with vegetables growing where most people might have expected nothing more than decorative landscaping. He had never imagined that protecting his tomatoes and cucumbers would eventually become the…

A person shared his story about a vegetable garden that had peacefully coexisted with the neighborhood wildlife for years. Her husband loved gardening, and their fenced yard regularly produced fresh vegetables despite the occasional squirrel, rabbit, or curious bird. They accepted those visitors as part of the bargain that came with growing food outdoors. Then…

A person shared his story about moving into a home expecting the usual joys of gardening: flowers, vegetables, fresh air, and a quiet place to relax. Instead, the first year brought a parade of cats, rodents, raccoons, and an increasingly unpleasant smell along the garden fence. Every morning seemed to reveal another surprise buried beneath…

A person shared his story about a neighbor whose front yard always looked freshly trimmed, almost as if someone inspected it every morning with a ruler. The grass was short, the edges were neat, and from the street, the property looked completely ordinary. But the moment you looked over the fence, the backyard seemed to…

A person shared his story about spotting milkweed growing in a utility easement behind his home and deciding that the ordinary strip of grass deserved a more interesting future. Instead of leaving it as another patch of lawn, he saw an opportunity to create a small pollinator garden filled with flowers. The idea was simple,…

A person shared his story after receiving an HOA violation over the condition of the lawn at the North Florida rental home where he lived. The yard had St. Augustine grass, plenty of weeds, and what appeared to be an endless supply of fire ants hiding somewhere in the black sandy soil. The biggest problem…

A 26-year-old woman lived in an apartment building where she had gotten to know a neighbor named Linda, a woman in her 50s who loved keeping plants around her home. Before leaving for a two-week vacation, Linda approached her neighbor with a favor that seemed harmless enough. She asked her to water the plants while…

A person shared his story about a bitter family rivalry that had quietly grown for years. When their parents divided the family duplex, his sister Dana ended up with the desirable side, complete with better morning light, while his own side faced a neighbor’s fence. Dana apparently enjoyed reminding him of the difference whenever he…