Spring is the time of year when the incessant racket of small engines fills the air like the nightly drone of crickets and cicadas — only louder, and arguably more annoying.
As this Redditor discovered, posting in the self-explanatory r/f***lawns subreddit, living off-grid is just about the only way to escape it. "How are some dandelions less pleasant than the constant sound of motors?" they asked. The complaint is not uncommon, especially if you live in a similar community.
As a response post noted: "Are your neighbors retired? If so, get used to the constant yard work. They have all the time in the world to do it." Retirees can be focused on conformity, and unless they have another hobby, their lawns may become their obsessions.Â
Outside of packing bags and heading for the hills, the OP was not likely to change anything. The seemingly endless drone and roar of chainsaws, hedge trimmers, edgers, weedeaters, and lawnmowers will continue until the cooling effects of fall and winter arrive, slowing growth.
Unless living off-grid is an option, most of us have to play with the cards we're dealt. The OP was not likely to transform the neighbors' way of thinking, but it's always worth a shot to encourage rewilding or other forms of yard naturalization.
While trying to get rid of the noise is probably a losing battle, there is a great deal of satisfaction in rewilding your yard or beginning the naturalization process one step at a time. Unless there's a homeowners association involved, of course.
There are degrees of control someone can exercise over the appearance and order of a rewilding project. An aesthetically beautiful and flourishing rewilding project may be enough to shift a few minds, though.
If you're in a similar spot, check out TCD's guides, which include advice on yard work and tools as well as solutions to noise pollution. In the meantime, stock up on active noise-canceling headphones, look into the noise ordinances in your area, and consider an off-grid move.
"So many times I've wished for a designated noisy time/day," one user said.
While the aforementioned headphones may help, it's easy to sympathize with the OP, who wrote: "I have several pairs and use them. But I'd prefer to have my windows open and be listening to the birds and enjoying nature."
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