I live in a small town, and I drive past a quite a few houses that have beautiful flowers/flowering shrubs in their yard. I don’t particularly want to spend hours on the internet looking up “mini purple irises with striped foliage,” and so on. (Ok, that one might be easy. But 8" pink flowering perennials?! :dubious: )
I want to write a nicely worded letter, complimenting them on their flowers/shrubs, ask them if they would please tell me the name of them (if they know it,) and include a self-addressed stamped postcard. After all, I know what street I’m driving on, and everyone has their house number on the building. My boyfriend thinks I am being unrealistic, and that no one will respond at all. Worse, he is afraid that since I will be giving them our address, they will then tell each other… you know that woman renting the house on such-and-such street? The one with all the cats? She’s crazy!! :eek:
He thinks I’d fare better just knocking on the door, explaining myself, and asking them face to face. I feel that’s a bit intrusive. Myself, if I answered the door, I’d be flattered and tell them what they were… but I don’t like unannounced guests, and there’s a big chance I’d just not answer.
So I ask you… is it creepy that I can figure out their address? Am I being unrealistic? How would you respond to a letter like that? Would you prefer a stranger knocking on your door?
Knock on door.
Either that, or try to go all ironic with the “I’m-aware-that-I-searched-for-your-address-to-write-a-note-about-your-flowers-which-may-come-off-creepy-so-to-diffuse-the-situation-I’ve-written-this-letter-in-blood-and-attached-pictures-of-you-and-your-children-to-make-it-so-over-the-top-that-you’ll-find-it-funny-and-won’t-be-creeped-out” way. I’m sure it’ll turn out fine.
Or google image search it? I’ve had luck doing that with flowers before.
I wouldn’t think it was creepy necessarily, but I probably wouldn’t respond either. Of course, I don’t answer the door if I’m not expecting anyone either, so mostly I’m an unsocial jerk.
I’d knock on the door for the sake of giving the garden’s owner a bit of a buzz. I know when I’m out walking, the simplest remark to someone tending their prized garden will invariably lead to a lengthy spell of showing them it off.
Cat Whisperer, ahh, umm… I am really not the best at “computer stuff.” I can answer my e-mail, and I can join a message board, but as far as posting pictures anywhere, I just don’t know how. I can take pictures with my phone, and then send them to my e-mail. My phone is on my sister’s family plan, and she is the only one with a data plan, so I can’t use my phone to go online. If you, or anyone, can explain to me how to get the pictures from my e-mail to a way that all of you can see it, I would LOVE to post the pictures for you to identify!
MichaelEmouse, as I stated, all the addresses are on the house, great big numbers they bought from the hardware store and put up there themselves, but thank you for showing me how “not creepy” it is that I can read. You’re right, I should just knock on the door.
Nikki Tikki Tavi, as a surprise, my boyfriend bought me the pink and white double petal tulips I saw and had said to him, “Oh, how pretty, aren’t they beautiful?!” **–> **I spent an hour online trying to figure out *which *double petaled pink and white tulips I had, and if they needed full sun, or would take partial shade… there are so many contrasting opinions about this one flower that I’m still not sure if I ever found the “right” picture to find out which kind of tulip I have, and I got a headache, and I just quit. The google image search did not work for me, even when I knew I had tulips!!
Your boyfriend bought you a flowering potted plant that didn’t have a tag saying what it was and how to care for it? That seems kinda thoughtful and careless at the same time…
I think it would be fine to knock on their door. Or drive by occasionally and talk to them when they are out in the yard. Not creepy. They would be flattered most likely.
I think leaving a letter wouldn’t be that bad, but why not put your email address instead of a stamped post card. That way they don’t have actually go drop the thing in the mail. But to be honest, either a knock on the door or a letter would be a little weird.
Indeed, if you knocked on my door and asked about the plants in my yard, I would not be able to tell you a thing. The previous owner planted stuff, and I cut it back when something hits me in the face. That’s the extent of my gardening knowledge.
Depends on the neighborhood. Where I live, strangers do not knock on my door unless they are trying to sell me something I don’t want, solicit donations to a charity I’ve never heard of, or proselytize for a religion I don’t believe in. For me, knocking on the door would be creepy, unless they can make their point in 5 seconds.
I agree, knock on the door and ask. Be polite and get to the point, and it shouldn’t be too weird or a hassle. If they aren’t at home, then take two or three pictures of the flowers, go to a gardening store and show them, and they should be able to help you figure it out.
If you, or anyone, can explain to me how to get the pictures from my e-mail to a way that all of you can see it, I would LOVE to post the pictures for you to identify!