Odour-filtering Plant suggestions anyone?

[PD]

OK, maybe a slightly odd question, but here goes:
Our new neighbours sit at the front of their house smoking at all hours of
the day and night. Due to the lay of the land, the smell fills our front
yard, and if we have our front door open, it fills the house as well.

We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence which is
in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's anything I can
plant that would help to filter the air between our place and theirs. Or be
sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself year-round that it might
overpower the smoke pong. Any ideas anyone? The strip of garden is only
about 2ft wide, and I don't want anything that's going to end up scratching
the car every time we drive in and out (had that problem for many years, and
a badly damaged car as a result!).

Thanks in advance,
Penny
(in Beecroft, Sydney)

[David Hare-Scott[_2_]]

PD wrote:
> OK, maybe a slightly odd question, but here goes:
> Our new neighbours sit at the front of their house smoking at all
> hours of the day and night. Due to the lay of the land, the smell
> fills our front yard, and if we have our front door open, it fills
> the house as well.
>
> We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence
> which is in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's
> anything I can plant that would help to filter the air between our
> place and theirs. Or be sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself
> year-round that it might overpower the smoke pong. Any ideas anyone?
> The strip of garden is only about 2ft wide, and I don't want
> anything that's going to end up scratching the car every time we
> drive in and out (had that problem for many years, and a badly
> damaged car as a result!).
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Penny
> (in Beecroft, Sydney)

Fan palm.

David

[0tterbot]

"PD" > wrote in message
u...
>
> OK, maybe a slightly odd question, but here goes:
> Our new neighbours sit at the front of their house smoking at all hours of
> the day and night. Due to the lay of the land, the smell fills our front
> yard, and if we have our front door open, it fills the house as well.
>
> We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence which
> is in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's anything I
> can plant that would help to filter the air between our place and theirs.
> Or be sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself year-round that it might
> overpower the smoke pong. Any ideas anyone? The strip of garden is only
> about 2ft wide, and I don't want anything that's going to end up
> scratching the car every time we drive in and out (had that problem for
> many years, and a badly damaged car as a result!).
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Penny
> (in Beecroft, Sydney)

i have that problem myself with my septic tank occasionally having an
explosion of pong!! it has a big load of pampas grass on one side, which i
have noticed helps a great deal (in that direction, depending on the
wind...) so i feel any type of vegetative barrier seems to help quite a bit.

what about star jasmine? it grows very well practically everywhere, & the
flowers smell really lovely (if you are into those types of heady aromas),
and you can keep it tied to it's lattice (or whatever you put up, it needs
support) and can thus be kept tidy & pretty. if your support is quite tall,
it will go up high.
kylie

[Jonno[_18_]]

Report them to the EPA?
Put them in to the Quit campaign?

>>> http://www.quitnow.info.au/

You would also be helping their health...

Or move... It may be damaging your health too...


"0tterbot" > wrote in message
...
> "PD" > wrote in message
> u...
>>
>> OK, maybe a slightly odd question, but here goes:
>> Our new neighbours sit at the front of their house smoking at all hours
>> of the day and night. Due to the lay of the land, the smell fills our
>> front yard, and if we have our front door open, it fills the house as
>> well.
>>
>> We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence which
>> is in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's anything I
>> can plant that would help to filter the air between our place and theirs.
>> Or be sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself year-round that it
>> might overpower the smoke pong. Any ideas anyone? The strip of garden
>> is only about 2ft wide, and I don't want anything that's going to end up
>> scratching the car every time we drive in and out (had that problem for
>> many years, and a badly damaged car as a result!).
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Penny
>> (in Beecroft, Sydney)
>
> i have that problem myself with my septic tank occasionally having an
> explosion of pong!! it has a big load of pampas grass on one side, which i
> have noticed helps a great deal (in that direction, depending on the
> wind...) so i feel any type of vegetative barrier seems to help quite a
> bit.
>
> what about star jasmine? it grows very well practically everywhere, & the
> flowers smell really lovely (if you are into those types of heady aromas),
> and you can keep it tied to it's lattice (or whatever you put up, it needs
> support) and can thus be kept tidy & pretty. if your support is quite
> tall, it will go up high.
> kylie
>
>

[FarmI]

"0tterbot" > wrote in message
> "PD" > wrote in message

>> OK, maybe a slightly odd question, but here goes:
>> Our new neighbours sit at the front of their house smoking at all hours
>> of the day and night. Due to the lay of the land, the smell fills our
>> front yard, and if we have our front door open, it fills the house as
>> well.
>>
>> We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence which
>> is in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's anything I
>> can plant that would help to filter the air between our place and theirs.
>> Or be sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself year-round that it
>> might overpower the smoke pong. Any ideas anyone? The strip of garden
>> is only about 2ft wide, and I don't want anything that's going to end up
>> scratching the car every time we drive in and out (had that problem for
>> many years, and a badly damaged car as a result!).
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Penny
>> (in Beecroft, Sydney)
>
> i have that problem myself with my septic tank occasionally having an
> explosion of pong!!

I have a dead chook in the compost heap at the moment and it stinks
something chronic. I should have buried it better but then I thought the
maggots would do a much quicker job on it than they are so far doing. They
seem to manage to get rid of roos much faster thant his chook. Can't
understand it given the size difference.

I've been walking past it for days and remembering that I read in the
"Body Farm" book about an experiment they did on how close people had to be
before they smelled corpses. It was very, very close. dont' think I
believe that experiement anymore.

Try a dead chook. You'll enjoy the tobacco after that and your neighbours
won't want to use their verandah at all any more.

[Jonno[_18_]]

Re Dead chook, I Like it, yeah, but will the smokers still have a sense of
smell at this point?
Its obvious they have no sense!
Damned drug addicts!

"FarmI" <ask@itshall be given> wrote in message
...
> "0tterbot" > wrote in message
>> "PD" > wrote in message
>
>>> OK, maybe a slightly odd question, but here goes:
>>> Our new neighbours sit at the front of their house smoking at all hours
>>> of the day and night. Due to the lay of the land, the smell fills our
>>> front yard, and if we have our front door open, it fills the house as
>>> well.
>>>
>>> We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence which
>>> is in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's anything
>>> I can plant that would help to filter the air between our place and
>>> theirs. Or be sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself year-round
>>> that it might overpower the smoke pong. Any ideas anyone? The strip of
>>> garden is only about 2ft wide, and I don't want anything that's going to
>>> end up scratching the car every time we drive in and out (had that
>>> problem for many years, and a badly damaged car as a result!).
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance,
>>> Penny
>>> (in Beecroft, Sydney)
>>
>> i have that problem myself with my septic tank occasionally having an
>> explosion of pong!!
>
> I have a dead chook in the compost heap at the moment and it stinks
> something chronic. I should have buried it better but then I thought the
> maggots would do a much quicker job on it than they are so far doing.
> They seem to manage to get rid of roos much faster thant his chook. Can't
> understand it given the size difference.
>
> I've been walking past it for days and remembering that I read in the
> "Body Farm" book about an experiment they did on how close people had to
> be before they smelled corpses. It was very, very close. dont' think I
> believe that experiement anymore.
>
> Try a dead chook. You'll enjoy the tobacco after that and your neighbours
> won't want to use their verandah at all any more.
>
>
>

[David Hare-Scott[_2_]]

FarmI wrote:

> Try a dead chook. You'll enjoy the tobacco after that and your
> neighbours won't want to use their verandah at all any more.

Try a commercial chicken shed being cleaned out, tons of fresh manure and
dozens of corpses. The blokes who work inside wear breathing apparatus. We
used to be 300m from one and on really hot nights it was better to keep the
windows closed and lose weight.

David

[Norm]

On Jan 13, 5:23*pm, "PD" > wrote:
> OK, maybe a slightly odd question, but here goes:
> Our new neighbours sit at the front of their house smoking at all hours of
> the day and night. *Due to the lay of the land, the smell fills our front
> yard, and if we have our front door open, it fills the house as well.
>
> We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence which is
> in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's anything I can
> plant that would help to filter the air between our place and theirs. *Or be
> sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself year-round that it might
> overpower the smoke pong. *Any ideas anyone? *The strip of garden *is only
> about 2ft wide, and I don't want anything that's going to end up scratching
> the car every time we drive in and out (had that problem for many years, and
> a badly damaged car as a result!).
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Penny
> (in Beecroft, Sydney)

Dear Penny

In addition to all the other helpful comments (like moving house), I
thought you might like to see this article on "third hand smoke" which
was on some "news" site today.

http://motherandbaby.com.au/ContentItem.aspx?ContentID=1150

It seems as if some dangerous elements of smoke remain after the
cigarette is put out. It occurs to me that your neighbours themselves
are likely to be dangerous to your health if you get too close to
them.

I hope you come up with a solution. Cigarette smoke can be extremely
penetrating, and masking it with other smells often does not even make
a "cosmetic" difference. I did once think of moving house because of
neighbours who constantly practiced playing heavy metal music until
the early hours of the morning, and I imagine I would find smoke very
taxing.

Yours

Norm

[kris anthem um]

;827425']Report them to the EPA?
Put them in to the Quit campaign?

http://www.quitnow.info.au/

You would also be helping their health...

Or move... It may be damaging your health too...


"0tterbot" wrote in message
...
"PD" wrote in message
u...

OK, maybe a slightly odd question, but here goes:
Our new neighbours sit at the front of their house smoking at all hours
of the day and night. Due to the lay of the land, the smell fills our
front yard, and if we have our front door open, it fills the house as
well.

We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence which
is in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's anything I
can plant that would help to filter the air between our place and theirs.
Or be sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself year-round that it
might overpower the smoke pong. Any ideas anyone? The strip of garden
is only about 2ft wide, and I don't want anything that's going to end up
scratching the car every time we drive in and out (had that problem for
many years, and a badly damaged car as a result!).

Thanks in advance,
Penny
(in Beecroft, Sydney)

i have that problem myself with my septic tank occasionally having an
explosion of pong!! it has a big load of pampas grass on one side, which i
have noticed helps a great deal (in that direction, depending on the
wind...) so i feel any type of vegetative barrier seems to help quite a
bit.

what about star jasmine? it grows very well practically everywhere, & the
flowers smell really lovely (if you are into those types of heady aromas),
and you can keep it tied to it's lattice (or whatever you put up, it needs
support) and can thus be kept tidy & pretty. if your support is quite
tall, it will go up high.
kylie



Any of the lillypilly family [syzygium] would be good because of the dense foliage and fresh , almost citrus smell , the folliage will remain soft if pruned reg. golden penda or the xanthostemon could also be suitable as it grows upright with few lateral branches so way less pruning and it produces a showy yellow flower. cheers and good luck, you could always try tabacco, the flowering kind.....very pleasant smelling but lacks the height you require.

[0tterbot]

"FarmI" <ask@itshall be given> wrote in message
...

I should have buried it better but then I thought the
> maggots would do a much quicker job on it than they are so far doing.
> They seem to manage to get rid of roos much faster thant his chook. Can't
> understand it given the size difference.

do you think wombats decompose faster than feral pigs? because now that you
mention the above, i reckon they might.

decomposition is so very interesting! (which i suppose is why we are all
here at alt.gardens ;-)
kylie

[Jonno[_18_]]

Do dead composers decompose too?
"0tterbot" > wrote in message
...
> "FarmI" <ask@itshall be given> wrote in message
> ...
>
> I should have buried it better but then I thought the
>> maggots would do a much quicker job on it than they are so far doing.
>> They seem to manage to get rid of roos much faster thant his chook.
>> Can't understand it given the size difference.
>
> do you think wombats decompose faster than feral pigs? because now that
> you mention the above, i reckon they might.
>
> decomposition is so very interesting! (which i suppose is why we are all
> here at alt.gardens ;-)
> kylie
>
>

[terryc]

On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:56:53 +0000, Jonno wrote:

> Do dead composers decompose too?

Yep.

[Chookie]

In article >,
"PD" > wrote:

> We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence which is
> in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's anything I can
> plant that would help to filter the air between our place and theirs. Or be
> sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself year-round that it might
> overpower the smoke pong. Any ideas anyone?

A titan arum?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1779480.htm

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/

[FarmI]

"Chookie" > wrote in
> "PD" > wrote:
>
>> We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence which
>> is
>> in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's anything I
>> can
>> plant that would help to filter the air between our place and theirs. Or
>> be
>> sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself year-round that it might
>> overpower the smoke pong. Any ideas anyone?
>
> A titan arum?

LOL

I wonder if a dead chook would be cheaper that a titan Arum?

[terryc]

On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:23:51 +1100, PD wrote:

> so now I'm wondering if there's anything I can
> plant that would help to filter the air between our place and theirs.

Nope. if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, you're going to get
stunk out.

About the only think that would make senses is a very tall trellis/frame
which you grow a pongy vine over, but that will only work when the vine
is in flower.

We are in a similar situation with the neighbour next door, although, since
his melanoma returned, he has stopped.

[PD]

Thanks everyone, I may not have received a vast number of plant suggestions
but have enjoyed myself nevertheless! :o) Perhaps an occasional sprinkling
of prawn heads in their front yard might discourage them from lingering
outside - wonder how far that smell would travel?

Of course, a small job becomes a big job - I can put a lattice up to grow
something on, but first need to repair the fence that the neighbour's son
burned a hole through after a few too many drinks, I believe. (Dumped the
post-bbq ashes from the Weber at the base of a timber fence, by next morning
it was in flames. Clever bloke. Somehow managed to miss the bark chip
mulch that was all over his garden, otherwise the whole lot would've gone
up.)

Cheers.

"PD" > wrote in message
u...
>
> OK, maybe a slightly odd question, but here goes:
> Our new neighbours sit at the front of their house smoking at all hours of
> the day and night. Due to the lay of the land, the smell fills our front
> yard, and if we have our front door open, it fills the house as well.
>
> We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence which
> is in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's anything I
> can plant that would help to filter the air between our place and theirs.
> Or be sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself year-round that it might
> overpower the smoke pong. Any ideas anyone? The strip of garden is only
> about 2ft wide, and I don't want anything that's going to end up
> scratching the car every time we drive in and out (had that problem for
> many years, and a badly damaged car as a result!).
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Penny
> (in Beecroft, Sydney)
>

[FarmI]

"0tterbot" > wrote in message
> "FarmI" <ask@itshall be given> wrote in message

> I should have buried it better but then I thought the
>> maggots would do a much quicker job on it than they are so far doing.
>> They seem to manage to get rid of roos much faster thant his chook.
>> Can't understand it given the size difference.
>
> do you think wombats decompose faster than feral pigs? because now that
> you mention the above, i reckon they might.

Hmmm. Now you mention it, you could be right. The dead wombats I've seen
just seem to melt away.

But the pigs.... the trick with them is to get the others to come to the
carcase and pretty soon it's not a problem. Have you seen the RLPB feral
pig trap in action? Very effective.

> decomposition is so very interesting! (which i suppose is why we are all
> here at alt.gardens ;-)

Yeah, we all love rot :-))

[Jonno[_18_]]

Definitely move!

"PD" > wrote in message
u...
> Thanks everyone, I may not have received a vast number of plant
> suggestions but have enjoyed myself nevertheless! :o) Perhaps an
> occasional sprinkling of prawn heads in their front yard might discourage
> them from lingering outside - wonder how far that smell would travel?
>
> Of course, a small job becomes a big job - I can put a lattice up to grow
> something on, but first need to repair the fence that the neighbour's son
> burned a hole through after a few too many drinks, I believe. (Dumped the
> post-bbq ashes from the Weber at the base of a timber fence, by next
> morning it was in flames. Clever bloke. Somehow managed to miss the bark
> chip mulch that was all over his garden, otherwise the whole lot would've
> gone up.)
>
> Cheers.
>
> "PD" > wrote in message
> u...
>>
>> OK, maybe a slightly odd question, but here goes:
>> Our new neighbours sit at the front of their house smoking at all hours
>> of the day and night. Due to the lay of the land, the smell fills our
>> front yard, and if we have our front door open, it fills the house as
>> well.
>>
>> We have a strip of garden between our driveway and our joint fence which
>> is in dire need of attention - so now I'm wondering if there's anything I
>> can plant that would help to filter the air between our place and theirs.
>> Or be sufficiently (pleasantly) fragranced itself year-round that it
>> might overpower the smoke pong. Any ideas anyone? The strip of garden
>> is only about 2ft wide, and I don't want anything that's going to end up
>> scratching the car every time we drive in and out (had that problem for
>> many years, and a badly damaged car as a result!).
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Penny
>> (in Beecroft, Sydney)
>>
>
>
>