I have 17 acres, but I don't cut the grass . I like how the wildness looks like. Up close to the buildings are messed with more and feel like a garden more or less, and the further away I get from the buildings the more I reduce the amount of messing around that I do. Nothing gets watered further that the hose reaches. ones land size makes you make choices about the density of effort.

I have one acre and not taking sides....just giving some food for thought ;)

I work full time, maintain my house, a teenager, animals, and many garden beds. I also cut and trim my lawn.

It is a lot of upkeep, when doing it by yourself....especially when I'd much prefer to be in the garden :)

So for myself...I agree it's to much. But it really boils down to what does he do? Does he even like yard work? Does he work full time? Help with the other chores etc? Even if he does work it's still a lot to maintain in my opinion. Are you willing to help him or will it solely be his job? What if he became ill or unable, would/could you maintain it yourself?

These are just some things to consider. I'm not sure of your ages, but I know im not getting any younger and certainly wouldn't want any more to maintain!

Maybe you could compromise.....and get 3/4 to 1 acre :)

Whatever you both decide on...I wish you contentment.....

It's not a either or thing. You both have to be content with what is chosen. If you force him into some thing he doesn't want to do he will resent you when he has to maintain his end of the yard. I say reach a compromise or be prepared to do all the work. Get a smaller yard and plant trees and screenings so you think you have lots of land around you.

depending on the footprint of the house, garage.. and driveways... an acre will barely be a half acre garden ...

will mull this more on my trip to livonia..

ken

We have 1/4 acre here and I used to hanker for more! But I can see the day coming when smaller/simpler would be better (I'm 58 and disabled; DH is 62 and pretty healthy - so far at least.... and he likes to work in the garden too) To some extent it would depend on the property - e.g. if there is a relatively small amount of maintained property at the house and the rest is field or forest left largely untended, that might be more manageable for the long term. A friend used to have a 10 acre property with much of it rented out to a neighbouring farmer who grew corn on it. That left less than an acre near the house which was gardened fairly intensively. A couple of years ago, in their early 70s, they sold it all and moved to a smaller property in a milder climate. So, my advice is to think ahead, and then come to an agreement on what is the most workable option over the time horizon you expect to own the property.

Yes, yes - but DH is a "grass man"...therein lies the problem.

I am all about lawn-gone in certain areas but I would miss not having any. Perhaps you would too. I intensively garden at very least 3/4 of an acre and I am eyeing more for shade. I have plenty of room for expansion but most of our acreage is forest. My DH takes care of the lawn with a riding mower and I try in the design to have as little trimming to do as possible.

Since your DH enjoys the grass hopefully he enjoys maintaining it as well. Most properties have a mix of lawn and garden, so chances are you will see a property that speaks to both of you.

I agree with every point of view offered. The house /garage, any sheds /outbuildings, the existing trees and the hardscaping will dictate usage of the property - unless you make changes.

If it were me, I would look at properties within both of your parameters and see what develops from there. I hope you find the perfect property for both of your wants/needs.

Camps pretty much nailed it: "Any garden is as much hard work as you want it to be." and Dowlinggram and Woodyoak both have good points: "You both have to be content with what is chosen," and "think ahead, and then come to an agreement on what is the most workable option over the time horizon you expect to own the property."

It depends on your and DH's age and fitness, standards of neatness, and types of plantings, as well as how you both like to spend your time. As an adult, I've only lived a couple years on less than 10 acres, but we live in a rural area that doesn't require pristine maintenance, and we have always had at least half of our land in woodland that is at most lightly maintained. Currently, DH mows the lawns (perhaps an acre) with a regular hand push mower but the fields (10+ acres) get mowed only a couple of times a year with a tractor-pulled brush hog. The lawns take an afternoon to do, maybe 3-4 hours, including any breaks he takes and moving the equipment between the two areas that have lawn. It would be faster with a riding mower. I do all the gardening, and it probably adds up to an acre between the veggie garden, a bunch of mixed shrub/perennial beds, and maintained wilder areas where I weed out invasives and add to the native species with planted ornamentals. I don't deadhead much, I have a large number of shrubs that get minimal pruning, only as needed, and I use mulch to reduce the need for weeding. I chose plants in part for easy maintenance since both of us are in the second half of our lives and I know there will come a day where I can't physically work as much in the garden. I've had to tell myself that I can't create any more beds at this point since I have reached the maximum of what I can maintain and still enjoy it.

We are both around a lot, DH being self-employed, and me working part time. Spending time outdoors is something we both enjoy, and neither of us has an interest in playing golf, going to parties, etc; working outside is how we relax. DH tends to work farmer's hours, 9 hours a day, seven days a week, either on his business or on the land, and I probably average 20 hours a week during the growing season, though much of that is as much puttering as work. I can't imagine having to spend time mowing two acres of lawn, though I have seen houses where that is the case, probably done by a lawn service.

I'd think about what is currently on the lot, how much each of you wants to do as far as work, and then look at each property individually:

Are there areas that need little to no maintenance such as woodland? What is the local (and DH's) tolerance for other than pristine lawn?

How large is the building footprint?

Will the difference in taxes on different sized lot effect your budget?

If DH isn't willing to do maintenance, can you do it alone or employ a lawn service for the boring parts?

Are there other things that require your time such as kids' sports, music lessons, etc., any other hobbies, or a more than 40 hour weekly job? You don't want the gardening to become a burden because you struggle to find time to spend gardening.

Is part of DH's concern due to a realization that you tend to be optimistic about your available time and energy - that is, are you being realistic?

Are there machines you can use to help such as a lawn tractor or even a small regular tractor and will they fit the budget, including maintenance?

Would DH be OK with less than an acre of lawn on a larger property with the understanding that the rest is yours both to maintain and to play with? Perhaps divided, with the front of the house more lawn with the back more garden, or a narrower area for lawn with wide borders around the perimeter?

I would think that you will know the right house when you see it...and if you don't, you will make it right when you have it...so, in other words, have a look around and keep an open mind - I went from 36square metres to 5 acres, with an allotment (1/8acre) inbetween - from tiny, no soil urban, to full sun to woodland....and I have loved them all.

Well aren't you guys pragmatic LOL! I expected a lot of go for the acreage responses HAHA!

I do agree we need to think about it - not just the lot size but accessibility to services/shopping/etc as we age. I know exactly where I want to live (the town) but like a lot of other things in life, money is a factor. The problem is houses are selling quickly around here, and if we don't jump on a house relatively quickly it will be gone - it happened already to a house I was going to look at this week. Sigh. It's not quite the feeding frenzy it was back in the early 2000s when I bought this house (multiple offers on houses in one day, houses going above listing prices in bidding wars -- happened on houses I wanted to bid on and also on the house I sold, sold in 2 days with multiple offers above list price). Still, a week or two and the good ones are gone.

The problem isn't me, it's DH. I am a very decisive person (in case you haven't figured that out yet...LOL!), but DH is *not*. It took me *months* of dickering back and forth with "what-ifs" to get DH to give me the green light to start looking, even though we've been talking about moving for quite a while.

I know there'll be lots more houses listed in upcoming months heading into spring and summer. Now that I have the ok from DH - I'm not fooling around, I need to jump on the houses that fit our needs/wants when they become available so I do agree we need to get this settled. Fortunately we do agree on the other major things pertaining to the house, but lot size is one area where we differ.

I would err on the side of less land rather than more. I have never heard anyone complain that they don't have enough work to do in the yard. You can plant evergreen trees and shrubs to give a sense of seclusion, if that is what you want. But, if DH likes lawn, the less you have to care for, the better. Water will only become a greater expense as time goes on, and riding mowers require storage and upkeep themselves. Also, if you have extensive gardens, then you need lengths of hose to reach the furthest corners. Those need to be rolled up and stored, unless you can afford to install sprinkler systems and the water those consume. I hate to rain on your parade, but there are so many things in life to spend discretionary time doing. It would be a shame to make a choice that ties you to work that might create friction between you and your spouse. Do you have kids and/or grandkids? Having freedom to spend time with them is precious.

Martha

I am on 4 acres. Not nearly enough space IMO but I can only see neighbors on one side of me, and only in the front -so not too bad lol. What you do is make lots of flower beds and get horses or goats so you have something to eat all your grass.

Or you can also get your yard declared as Wildlife Habitat so they you can just grow wildlife friendly plants and ornamental grasses etc. Then not as much maintenance.

~sJN

We used to live on 130 acres, 2 of which I maintained as lawn, flower beds, plantings, etc. I loved it. Until I moved into my middle 50's. I learned a lot about myself as I aged. Yes, I loved mowing. Yes, I loved flowers and gardening. But you know, the older you get, the less energy you are going to have. Gradually I let some of the beds go back to lawn because mowing took less time/trouble than weeding, planting, etc.

We sold that place and moved to town. Our city lot is probably 150 x 150 feet. And now I'm 60. Yes, I still love to mow and garden and plant - but this is much easier. I enjoy my little-bit just as much as I enjoyed the 2 acres. And I guess I'm not gonna get any younger. :(

Most people with acreage do not "maintain" all of it unless they are loaded to the gills.. If you like the wild look, it is no problem. But you need a manicured controlled existence, then stay with the smaller. Land is good for giving you the illusion of the neighbors being far away.That can be created on 1 acre judiciously, with time, otherwise look for the garden whose bones you like.. I think that a study was maid about the size of land that one person could intensively garden and it was less than an acre. I put up with fallen branches and Fallen trees for that matter, weeds in my garden beds. I call them wildflowers. If you want a suburban existence then keep it small and close to town. and WHO WATERS? I live in Texas and all my plantings get maybe one watering in the heat of summer if they look stressed. I water to establish. I pick tough plants. Even in town , once a week watering is all you get legally and believe me our soil evaporation rate is up there. Burnt grass is part of that wild look. Beware of HOAs. .

Size alone is not really much of a determining factor...not compared to soil, position, location, neighbours, access...but mostly - soil. Take a spade.

We have an acre and it is doable. I would for sure recommend a riding mower/ tractor. If he's into the lawn he can get a pull behind spreader, etc. to make the lawn stuff easier. As others have pointed out, you can make it what you want it to be, but you both should be on the same page. We both wanted a larger lot when we moved here. My husband dislikes yard stuff (other than mowing), so any other gardening is my deal and that's cool with me. He would be fine with just grass - easier to mow when he doesn't have to drive around my stuff :). It takes about the same amount of time to mow this yard on the tractor as it did to mow our old yard with the push mower. I see you are zone 6, so the garden stuff is only part of the year like it is here. I'm not sure I would want 2 acres though! Good luck deciding!

If you are using a riding mower...it's not nature.

A lot with an acre of woods you leave natural is very little work...once you clear it, it becomes a lot of work.

Ultimately, it really should be the decision of the person who will end up doing the work.

I am on your side. Get rid of the DH and get what you want. LOL

I agree with the post that said an acre is not much more than about double a medium size suburban yard..

Do you drive a car? A riding mower is fun. Can you negotiate by telling him that you will mow the lawn? I love getting on that riding mower. It is like driving around the country side and no traffic.

Your other option could be suggesting hire out the mowing and trimming half my neighbors have a service because they either are unable or do not want to do the mowing and trimming. It is not that expensive since it is only a few months a year. It is not like we live in California of 365 sunny yard work days.

First husband did not do any yard work and second husband no yard work. The yard and kitchen is mine. I like it that way. I lived in a suburban yard situation for years. When I finally was not happy because I did not have the room to plant everything I wanted to plant and like you I did not want to see neighbors. We went house shopping. I now have 4 acres. One acre is woods, at least another acre is the house.

I am 5'5 and 120 lbs and do not have any trouble mowing the lawn and taking care of the gardens. It is work but relaxing work for me. All of them are not flower gardens some I have designed as shrub and bulb gardens so they are less work.

Nah, DH is a keeper LOL!

Easy...YOU cut the grass. LOL

Great advice given already! I am on both your sides:) My husband and I bought a house last summer. We wanted around 1-2 acres. We looked at many homes, and each one of course had it's own layout. The layout of the property makes a huge difference. We settled on a property just under 1.5 acres. The house sits almost in the center. The back yard has trees along most of the property line to give a more secluded private setting. Perfect for us. We have lots of room for flower gardens and alot of grass.

My husband likes mowing but we did have to get a riding mower. And it takes him quite a while to mow because it the mower itself is slow. Not to mention going around all the trees too. I have plenty of room for flower beds and just putting in the first three took me around 3 months on and off from start to finish! I forgot what it was like to start all over again.... ( potted around 150 perennials to take with me). Although I am doing it a bit at a time which will make it manageable.

so for me, I would say:

How much time do you both want to invest in planting and maintaining your yard? Look at houses between the acreage range you both prefer. Once you start looking at properties it will be much easier to determine what exactly will work (hopefully)for both of you.

Good luck and have fun!

Easy...YOU cut the grass. LOL

Not gonna happen. I *hate* cutting the grass. I would hire it out if DH didn't do it (used to have a service years ago when DH was working more hours than he does now, and frankly the service did a way better job - if I could afford it, I'd hire it out again)

Have you ever tried mowing with a riding mower? I am not talking about pushing a mower around the yard for hours. Although that was easy in my suburban yard it would never happen for this property. I had so many gardens there was not much grass. Trust me since I have done it both ways I agree it is easy.

I guess I am odd I have a convertible car that I love to put the top down and ride around with the wind on my face I am a true outdoor girl. I just hate traffic. I want everybody out of my way. LOL

the key for me ... is to not think about what you can handle now ... think 10... 20.. 30 years down the line ...

since you visited.. you know how big my place is ... it was a thrill to work.. 16 years ago ...

frankly i cant handle it now.. and that is not going to get any better in 5 or 10 years more ...

of course.. if you think you will move again ... that can be part of the equation ... you can downsize then ...

ken

You are right Ken....I know many say it is not a good thought but I buy repo houses and rent/resale and every house I have purchased has been with the vision as an investment even my own home. I figure get the best to take care of me in my old age,

You can down size if it becomes necessary and still have what you want now.

You guys are so right about the layout of the property. DH was all hot for this one we saw on-line (it's the only one he's liked so far...), toured it today and knew instantly it wasn't for me. The lot is 1/2 acre, which is double what I have now. I knew instantly I'd be unhappy here, the way the house was situated it was all side yard, the "view" out the back bay of windows was at a row of evergreens with other houses behind it, I felt closed in just touring it. My lot is half the size but seems way more spacious.

Thank you for your words Ken - I quite appreciate the honesty. Here I always thought your 5 acres was a bag of chips and all that. No worries though - no matter where I move, your hostas are coming with me ;0)

Oh no, I can't agree with that - looking 10, 20, 30 years ahead. Why? We are always doing that (as gardeners) - every seed sown has future potential and every new plant has to bed in with its companions...but I am doing it, seeing it, living it NOW. In the moment, digging, raking, sitting, planning right here, right now. And when I look around, I am seeing what is here...not what might be there. Who can say what will be going on even next year...and decades down the line...I don't think so. We put in so much effort and practically all of it is delayed gratification... bulbs, planted in autumn as a promise of spring...and then spring arrives and it is a pleasure...but never forget, it was those last days of low, end of year sun when we leaned on our spade and straightened up our aching backs, surveyed our work and...smiled. Ken - your garden is getting beyond you (you say) right now...but you just had 16 years of fun. I garden for the future but I live in the present.

I agree with you, Camp. You said it so well. Why worry about 20 years from now? At my age, I wouldn't do anything because I might not be here next year. So, then I'm here next year and I haven't had the pleasure of enjoying what might have been. I'll slow down when the time comes and enjoy to the fullest the time that I have. I know that time will come and I need to make certain preparations, but I'm not going to spoil the present by worrying about the future. This year I'm planning to renovate 2 of our gardens and I can hardly wait for the weather to warm so I can get out in the dirt. Sure, I'm getting a little more stooped each year and the arthritis gets a little worse, but planting all these new plants that I need is just the tonic I need. Happy gardening and happy spring !!!!.

I need to think about the future because DH and I would like this to be our last house, the home we can "grow old in". So it's important not only to think about manageable lot size, but manageable house size, stairs, accessibility to services (grocerers, gas stations, etc) if/when driving becomes more difficult, etc. As a recent client of mine succinctly stated - "aging sucks". Of course financial issues too - even though I *could* afford more expensive homes than I'm looking for, we don't really want to because we don't want to spend all our money on the mortgage. What will we do when when we get older and can't work or not work as much if we haven't saved much money? Social Security probably wouldn't cover our expenses if we overspend. So yes, it *is* important to think about the future.

DH is thinking about a larger lot size in terms of both the here and now and the future - right now he works so much he has little free time, but he does manage to get the grass cut, he is worried he can't handle a larger lot (he sees grass when we talk about acreage, what can I say). He also worries about getting older; he'll have more time but he may not have the ability to tend to chores. I am thinking more in terms of the present regarding lot size, although truthfully time often is a limiting factor for me, too. I do have the "what ifs" in the back of my mind, though.

I think you hit the nail on the head. It is not going to be the size of the property but the topography. Maybe you could get a smaller property if the land is set up so you get the privacy you want and the manageable size your DH is comfortable to handle.

I did not rush the search, it took a year to find what I wanted. Everyone kept telling me that I would know when I found it and I thought that is a nice saying but it really did work out that way. My limitation was I wanted in a certain area and not many houses had acreage because it is mostly suburban small lot properties. Finding 4 acres in my price was close to miracle territory. I was thinking one acre.

The topography was perfect so the extra land made it easier to mow and garden. Did not have to go around a lot of cut outs for garden area which cuts down on all the trimming. That duty is time consuming. It is like driving down the street and back up the street 5 times and I am done. Nice mowed lawn and I have had a nice ride for the day.

Ah yes, these are all sensible considerations while lot size is, I swear.less important than nearly all other aspects of choosing a garden. Soil and direction are infinitely more essential and honestly, anything even just a bit more than your current 1/4 acre will be a bonus. All this thinking and worrying will fade away as soon as a choice is made anyway. Where are you in your search? Seen any in particular? Have you written a list of all the really crucial conditions such as accessibility, facilities, the house itself...because, unless you are a good builder/renovator and have wads of cash, the house is often more fixed and final than the garden. True, hard landscaping can make big changes but with minimal costs and a fair bit of graft, you can make of a garden whatever you want - this being your area of expertise...so maybe worry less about actual size and keep a weather eye open for the right house.

Sometimes, choices are more of a burden than a freedom...at least in the painful early days. As soon as you have made your decision, you can get on with making it yours (and special).

I will be the little old lady living in an overgrown grass and wildflower meadow. I think the first to go will be the cactus garden,... grass will take it over. I built a bridge between buildings so I do not need to mow. It was wilderness before me and most of it still is. Like it that way. Why fight it.

We have an acre. It is a bit much to keep things tidy. We use a riding mover, hand mover and a weed-eater. It's a lot of work and we both work full time and I also go to school. Besides cutting grass there is always tree debris and fallen twigs and branches to take care of. Not to mention the endless summer trimming of shrubs and small trees. More land means more critters and damage such as groundhog holes to watch for while mowing or even walking through the yard. We don't live in the country and most of the neighborhood has 1/4 to 1/2 acre lots that they keep very tidy and manicured. So there is an expectation that we will keep ours as nice.

When I get older I am going to get rid of some of the ornamental trees and shrubs to make for easier mowing and have hire a lawn service to care for the lot.

Of course no one has a crystal ball, but I agree with Ken.... If you are 'planning' to stay in the new house 'forever' (God willing and the creeks don't rise), then you should think about how it will suit you as you age. This was what drove us in building our current home 5 years ago. We have a reverse 1-1/2 story with a walkout basement. We're late 50's now, but if we are lucky enough to stick around into our late 80's or 90's, and can't do the stairs anymore, we can live comfortably on the main level - all the basics are there. And then we'll have to have someone come and mow for us.

We have about 1/4 acre suburban lot. We're working to establish the landscape/gardens - and trying to keep in mind that we don't want to have to keep digging up and dividing things forever. We love doing that (read - I love doing it, and he humors me). And we won't mind doing some of that into the future as long as possible.... but maybe we won't always be able to. So - shrubs, trees, and a mix of perennials like hosta, etc.... and I'm trying not to over-crowd things, but to leave them enough room to mature in place. And I'm trying to make it pretty and fun, with seasonal interest. If I have to scale back some plantings down the road I will.

I have a slight concern about my property... the walkout is great, but on one side - with the way the lot is graded, and in relation to the neighbors' lots - the slope is such that I wonder about navigating it when I'm my mother's age - late 80's. And because it's on the north side, it doesn't dry out very well, so the grass can be kinda sodden sometimes. So I've been looking at lots of photos online of terraced lawns, steps and paths.... At some point I think we'll need to fix that area because I really don't want to fall and bust my buns!

I'm sure you'll make a good decision -- you seem to be considering it carefully! Good luck!