“Bought The Property, Landscaping Included”: Woman Shocked By Ex-Homeowner’s Request 2 Years Later

It’s often the details that make home home, whether it’s a painting on the wall, a vase grandma gave you on the coffee table, or a hydrangea bush by the entrance.

The latter is one of the things that made the redditor u/ClassicAct’s dwelling feel like home. She said it was part of the cottage’s charm, which is why she wasn’t too happy about previous owners wanting to take it away. Scroll down to find the full story in the OP’s words.

Bored Panda has reached out to the OP and she was kind enough to answer a few of our questions. You will find her thoughts in the text below.

The OP told Bored Panda that the most annoying part of it all was that the previous owners really harped on the fact that the current owners don’t know how much these plants mean to them. “Which was true,” the redditor pointed out. “Had they told us upfront—before closing on the property—that they had some kind of attachment to the bushes, we could have worked something out. It’s the fact that they said nothing, we paid for the property as is, and have planned other landscaping around the hydrangeas, and now years later come out of the woodwork about it that rubbed me the wrong way.

“I’ve been reading more than I thought possible about propagating hydrangeas,” the OP added. “I’m going to attempt to make new plants for them from the existing ones. If they survive I’ll offer them up as a one-time deal. I’m all for sentiment, but please don’t dig up my yard.”

With the help of landscaping, homeowners can create an even more pleasant environment to live in; and it’s no surprise that our surroundings affect the way we feel, which encourages us to look after them. Research suggests that it can have an effect on our psychological well-being by altering our levels of stress or even changing brain structure and function to a certain extent, making it all the more reason to take proper care of our surroundings.

Other scholars also support the idea that the environment affects our stress levels, especially green areas, which are very important for health promotion. Physician with a PhD in landscape planning and public health, Matilda van den Bosch, pointed out that, “In general, people seem to find natural fractals aesthetically pleasing, and several studies have suggested that this may induce activity in brain regions associated with a state of tranquility.”

Nature’s positive effect on one’s well-being can be a motivating factor to take a walk in the forest, visit a nearby park, or even create a green space right by their home. According to Ruby Home, more than half of households in the US have a garden, and as many as 55% of Americans reportedly garden in order to create a beautiful environment.

Gardening not only encourages people to spend time outdoors, but brings additional benefits as well, such as an increase in physical activity, intake of vitamin D, and in some cases, even social interaction. According to a 2018 study, it can help restore dexterity and strength, burn calories, and enable people to counteract social isolation if taken up as a group activity.

But it’s not only the results of gardening that make a person’s environment feel more like home; it can be the actions leading up to them as well. A publication covering the correlation between psychological home and well-being suggested that even though the building and objects in or around it may boast sentimental value, activities also play a major role in turning a dwelling into a home. “They enhance the construction of a sense of personal identity anchored to the surrounding environment. Everyday experiences contribute to the construction of a ‘sense of place’, with reference to both everyday environments and the wider residential and territorial context.”

That means it’s likely not only hydrangea bushes themselves that have become an inseparable part of the OP’s understanding of home, but also any activity related to it, be it taking care of or marveling at it. It might have been the same with the previous owners, who said the plants had sentimental value; however, the OP and some of the redditors in the comments were surprised that it took them two years to realize it.