Why did Finch's children dislike passing by Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose's house in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

Mrs. Dubose verbally harasses the children each time they walk by her house. She is especially insulting about Atticus. So much so, that Jem tries to get even by chopping down her garden. Ironically, Atticus makes Jem and Scout read to Mrs. Dubose as a punishment for trying to destroy her garden. At the time, the children did not realize that Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict trying to get clean. By reading to her, Jem helped her kick her morphine habit before she died.