Former reality TV contestant Jimmy Nicholson has sparked a surprisingly passionate debate about a very Australian patch of grass: the nature strip. Nicholson, who appeared on season nine of The Bachelor, called out what he sees as an “unAustralian” move after noticing his neighbours had neatly mown their own sections but left his small piece untouched.
A pilot and self-described “lawn enthusiast”, Nicholson shared a video online showing both neighbouring strips trimmed cleanly, while his little section in between was left standing. He asked followers whether it was “fair play” or whether his neighbours couldn’t stand him. He didn’t hold back on his own verdict either, saying, “Surely this is the most unAustralian act of 2026. That is passive aggressive mowing at its finest.”
The reaction was split. Some people were shocked at how precise, and petty, the boundary mowing seemed. One commenter wrote, “Move to our street. Our neighbour mowed my whole front lawn today just because he was already doing his.” Another shared, “My neighbour left a 30cm strip unmowed, as it was on my side of the invisible boundary. Even while away on a two-week holiday, he instructed his adult son not to mow it. I left it, as I knew it would drive him crazy. It took 12 weeks, but he finally mowed it, and never did it again.” Someone else added, “My farmer husband is mortified that this is how ‘city people’ act.”
Others took the opposite view, arguing Nicholson should maintain his own frontage and not expect anyone else to do it. One person commented, “They’re sick of your untidied frontage which detracts from their places. Pull your weight and they’ll recommence mowing the micro strip. Everyone needs to play their part for a neat street.”
Etiquette expert Kate Heussler says the “right” answer often depends less on the grass and more on the relationship. She recalls doing the mowing as a teenager and making sure the strip looked consistent. “Whenever I mowed the lawn I always made sure I cut overextending both sides of the nature strip, so it didn’t look like half was done and half wasn’t,” she said.
Heussler says she understands why the debate gets heated, because people bring different expectations to neighbourly etiquette. “It’s a really interesting take, because I also read the comments and most people were saying, ‘Stop whinging’ or ‘just mow your own lawn and the other half were saying ‘yeah, it’s so rude,’” she said. In her view, it often comes down to whether there’s goodwill on both sides. “If you’re on good terms and a generous person yourself, there is going to be that ‘I give, you give’ and you meet in the middle,” she added. “But if you have no relationship with the neighbour, if you’re living in a property where the tenants roll over regularly and your neighbour is a long-term home owner, they’re not going to do that because you’re a complete stranger and they owe you nothing.”
The boundary-line mow has become a familiar social media flashpoint, with similar posts popping up whenever someone notices their strip left standing next to a freshly cut neighbour’s edge. The same argument tends to follow: should the person already mowing take a few extra minutes to finish the job, or is it each household’s responsibility to look after their own?
There are also people who step in simply because they can. Gardener Tim “The Lawnmower Man”, known for mowing lawns and nature strips for free, has weighed in online too, with many agreeing that if you’re already out there cutting, doing the section next door can feel like basic kindness. Others suggested a quick check-in first, in case the neighbour prefers to handle it themselves.
If the issue is turning into an ongoing frustration, one council’s advice is straightforward: talk first. In a Q&A on its website, Randwick City Council said, “The simplest solution is to have a chat with your neighbour about the condition of their nature strip.” The council noted that some neighbours may choose to help if someone is unable to manage, and added, “If you’re unable to do this, you can email Council who can help. Council does offer some services to residents that meet certain criteria to help keep their nature strip tidy.”
