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When garden styles collide
We returned home today from a couple of days away to find that the neighbours whose property runs across the bottom of our garden had kindly tidied up the bottom of our garden. The tidying up consisted of cutting down to ground level part of an old hawthorn hedge about 1.5 metres high with ivy growing up through it, some holly and pyracantha, all adjacent to but on our side of the boundary wall and an area of mature nettles about 1.5 x 2 metres that was well over a metre from the boundary. When asked about this kind act they explained that they did not like nettles and the untidy area and that it should be all right for us as we had another hedge which separated this part of our garden from our property and we would not see it. The fact that they had placed a 2 metre fence between our properties seemed to have escaped them. Admittedly the level of our garden is about .6/.7 metre higher than their garden so it is possible that they may have been able to have seen the tops of the nettles. They do have an absolutely immaculate modern instant garden which is all grey painted fence panels, different paving styles and hard landscaping in the style of Dairmuid Gavin. Not our style at all (we are busy turning much of our rear garden into a wildlife garden) but we do not publicly question their wish to create a garden style which they find pleasing. When I explained what we were trying to achieve they said 'I suppose that means more nettles and brambles', 'you are being lazy' and 'flies come from your garden - why don't you take your grass cuttings to the council tip'. The strange thing is that there have been no disagreements between us in the relatively short time since they took the property over - we actually helped them when they wanted an old, dead stump of a Turkey oak removed (shame really as it is where the Tawny owl used to frequently park itself). I have explained to them that they may not enter our garden again - they are welcome to cut back any foliage that hangs over the boundary but entering our garden to 'tidy up' the bits they do not like is definitely out and that if we wish to allow nettles to grow to attract Red Admiral and Comma butterflies then that really is up to us. I imagine that we could probably take some sort of action against them for the 'tidying up' but I think that would be completely OTT and as I am sure that our displeasure at this occurrence was very evident they will not repeat their act of 'It took me nearly all day and we thought that we were being helpful'. Perhaps the TV sanitised garden programmes have something to answer for (or are we just being old fashioned)? -- Robert |
When garden styles collide
"Robert" wrote in message ... We returned home today from a couple of days away to find that the neighbours whose property runs across the bottom of our garden had kindly tidied up the bottom of our garden. The tidying up consisted of cutting down to ground level part of an old hawthorn hedge about 1.5 metres high with ivy growing up through it, some holly and pyracantha, all adjacent to but on our side of the boundary wall and an area of mature nettles about 1.5 x 2 metres that was well over a metre from the boundary. When asked about this kind act they explained that they did not like nettles and the untidy area and that it should be all right for us as we had another hedge which separated this part of our garden from our property and we would not see it. The fact that they had placed a 2 metre fence between our properties seemed to have escaped them. Admittedly the level of our garden is about .6/.7 metre higher than their garden so it is possible that they may have been able to have seen the tops of the nettles. They do have an absolutely immaculate modern instant garden which is all grey painted fence panels, different paving styles and hard landscaping in the style of Dairmuid Gavin. Not our style at all (we are busy turning much of our rear garden into a wildlife garden) but we do not publicly question their wish to create a garden style which they find pleasing. When I explained what we were trying to achieve they said 'I suppose that means more nettles and brambles', 'you are being lazy' and 'flies come from your garden - why don't you take your grass cuttings to the council tip'. The strange thing is that there have been no disagreements between us in the relatively short time since they took the property over - we actually helped them when they wanted an old, dead stump of a Turkey oak removed (shame really as it is where the Tawny owl used to frequently park itself). I have explained to them that they may not enter our garden again - they are welcome to cut back any foliage that hangs over the boundary but entering our garden to 'tidy up' the bits they do not like is definitely out and that if we wish to allow nettles to grow to attract Red Admiral and Comma butterflies then that really is up to us. I imagine that we could probably take some sort of action against them for the 'tidying up' but I think that would be completely OTT and as I am sure that our displeasure at this occurrence was very evident they will not repeat their act of 'It took me nearly all day and we thought that we were being helpful'. Perhaps the TV sanitised garden programmes have something to answer for (or are we just being old fashioned)? good on you, your not being old fashioned, your right in saying TV sanitised garden programmes have something to answer for, with houses being knocked down & being replaced with flats, gardens are disappearing along with all the wildlife. i wish more people would set a piece of garden aside to attract the wildlife, i have to be honest i cant remember the last time i saw a hedgehog !! |
When garden styles collide
"reg" wrote in message ... "Robert" wrote in message ... We returned home today from a couple of days away to find that the neighbours whose property runs across the bottom of our garden had kindly tidied up the bottom of our garden. The tidying up consisted of cutting down to ground level part of an old hawthorn hedge about 1.5 metres high with ivy growing up through it, some holly and pyracantha, all adjacent to but on our side of the boundary wall and an area of mature nettles about 1.5 x 2 metres that was well over a metre from the boundary. When asked about this kind act they explained that they did not like nettles and the untidy area and that it should be all right for us as we had another hedge which separated this part of our garden from our property and we would not see it. The fact that they had placed a 2 metre fence between our properties seemed to have escaped them. Admittedly the level of our garden is about .6/.7 metre higher than their garden so it is possible that they may have been able to have seen the tops of the nettles. They do have an absolutely immaculate modern instant garden which is all grey painted fence panels, different paving styles and hard landscaping in the style of Dairmuid Gavin. Not our style at all (we are busy turning much of our rear garden into a wildlife garden) but we do not publicly question their wish to create a garden style which they find pleasing. When I explained what we were trying to achieve they said 'I suppose that means more nettles and brambles', 'you are being lazy' and 'flies come from your garden - why don't you take your grass cuttings to the council tip'. The strange thing is that there have been no disagreements between us in the relatively short time since they took the property over - we actually helped them when they wanted an old, dead stump of a Turkey oak removed (shame really as it is where the Tawny owl used to frequently park itself). I have explained to them that they may not enter our garden again - they are welcome to cut back any foliage that hangs over the boundary but entering our garden to 'tidy up' the bits they do not like is definitely out and that if we wish to allow nettles to grow to attract Red Admiral and Comma butterflies then that really is up to us. I imagine that we could probably take some sort of action against them for the 'tidying up' but I think that would be completely OTT and as I am sure that our displeasure at this occurrence was very evident they will not repeat their act of 'It took me nearly all day and we thought that we were being helpful'. Perhaps the TV sanitised garden programmes have something to answer for (or are we just being old fashioned)? I think it's fairly safe to say 99% of us are with you on this one. And I must say I salute your restraint. I would have been spitting blood if they'd come in my garden and done that. I think they have committed both trespass and criminal damage, but I'm not a lawyer. Steve |
When garden styles collide
"Robert" wrote in message ... We returned home today from a couple of days away to find that the neighbours whose property runs across the bottom of our garden had kindly tidied up the bottom of our garden. The tidying up consisted of cutting down to ground level part of an old hawthorn hedge about 1.5 metres high with ivy growing up through it, some holly and pyracantha, all adjacent to but on our side of the boundary wall and an area of mature nettles about 1.5 x 2 metres that was well over a metre from the boundary. When asked about this kind act they explained that they did not like nettles and the untidy area and that it should be all right for us as we had another hedge which separated this part of our garden from our property and we would not see it. The fact that they had placed a 2 metre fence between our properties seemed to have escaped them. Admittedly the level of our garden is about .6/.7 metre higher than their garden so it is possible that they may have been able to have seen the tops of the nettles. They do have an absolutely immaculate modern instant garden which is all grey painted fence panels, different paving styles and hard landscaping in the style of Dairmuid Gavin. Not our style at all (we are busy turning much of our rear garden into a wildlife garden) but we do not publicly question their wish to create a garden style which they find pleasing. When I explained what we were trying to achieve they said 'I suppose that means more nettles and brambles', 'you are being lazy' and 'flies come from your garden - why don't you take your grass cuttings to the council tip'. The strange thing is that there have been no disagreements between us in the relatively short time since they took the property over - we actually helped them when they wanted an old, dead stump of a Turkey oak removed (shame really as it is where the Tawny owl used to frequently park itself). I have explained to them that they may not enter our garden again - they are welcome to cut back any foliage that hangs over the boundary but entering our garden to 'tidy up' the bits they do not like is definitely out and that if we wish to allow nettles to grow to attract Red Admiral and Comma butterflies then that really is up to us. I commend you for your principled apparoach to handling this. Outwardly calm and laying down further instructions about how things will happen without losing your rag. It also allows you to maintain a positive relationship with your neighbours. Now, that aside, you need to consider pay back and revenge for the damage done. Forget ranting & raving or legal action. You can achieve it without them suspecting whilst still enjoying their misfortune. Things I may recommend include seeding their nice new 'perfect' instant garden with an invasive weed such as thistle, dandelion or wandering jew. Arrange a manner of dispensing the seed to the most appropriate place in their garden without them suspecting you. Another way may be a glyphosate 'bomb' strategically directed on to a prize plant one evening. Ensure the delivery mechanism won't be discovered. Google 'seed bomb' or 'seed grenade'. Best of luck. Rob |
When garden styles collide
snip Perhaps the TV sanitised garden programmes have something to answer for (or are we just being old fashioned)? I think it's fairly safe to say 99% of us are with you on this one. And I must say I salute your restraint. I would have been spitting blood if they'd come in my garden and done that. I think they have committed both trespass and criminal damage, but I'm not a lawyer. Steve I am with Steve on this one and I too think that you have behaved in a way I would have found impossible, how dare they do this to your garden, I would have been in there fighting. Hope that you manage to get it all sorted without too many more problems hurrah for old fashioned nettles etc. kate |
When garden styles collide
Robert wrote:
(or are we just being old fashioned)? Yes, you probably are old-fashioned, possibly an old-fashioned gentleman? I would have thrown an utter and complete, extremely unsightly wobbly. Regards -- Alan Johnson, Geotr@ns www.geotrans-online.de German-English, Geosciences/Technical http://geotransblog.blogspot.com/ Terminus Est |
When garden styles collide
Robert wrote:
We returned home today from a couple of days away to find that the neighbours whose property runs across the bottom of our garden had kindly tidied up the bottom of our garden. I would have absolutely freaked! They wouldn't have known what hit them. Trespass, criminal damage charges. Police immediately after I had finished calling them all the names under the sun. How dare they!!!! L -- Remove Frontal Lobes to reply direct. "These people believe the souls of fried space aliens inhabit their bodies and hold soup cans to get rid of them. I should care what they think?"...Valerie Emmanuel Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA |
When garden styles collide
George.com wrote:
Now, that aside, you need to consider pay back and revenge for the damage done. Forget ranting & raving or legal action. You can achieve it without them suspecting whilst still enjoying their misfortune. Things I may recommend include seeding their nice new 'perfect' instant garden with an invasive weed such as thistle, dandelion or wandering jew. Arrange a manner of dispensing the seed to the most appropriate place in their garden without them suspecting you. Another way may be a glyphosate 'bomb' strategically directed on to a prize plant one evening. Ensure the delivery mechanism won't be discovered. Google 'seed bomb' or 'seed grenade'. Best of luck. Rob Japenese Knot weed? -- Remove Frontal Lobes to reply direct. "These people believe the souls of fried space aliens inhabit their bodies and hold soup cans to get rid of them. I should care what they think?"...Valerie Emmanuel Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA |
When garden styles collide
We returned home today from a couple of days away to find that the neighbours whose property runs across the bottom of our garden had kindly tidied up the bottom of our garden. Roberts post has caused a mild but simmering domestic between me and my husband, he says he would have done the same as Roberts neighbours if he thought that he was helping - he is a bit of a Peter Perfect - I could not believe what he was saying, under no circumstances should they have gone into your garden Robert says she stomping up the garden muttering angry kate |
When garden styles collide
On 4 Jun, 22:24, Robert wrote:
We returned home today from a couple of days away to find that the neighbours whose property runs across the bottom of our garden had kindly tidied up the bottom of our garden. (snip nightmare tale) Perhaps the TV sanitised garden programmes have something to answer for (or are we just being old fashioned)? Robert, your tale upseted me so, my heart sank for you. I cannot imagine how calm and paused you've been. I would have totally exploded!!! This is something I see on a regular basis and the only thing we can do is stand up to this kind of savage approach to our beloved wild gardens. If I can be of some reassurance to you, this behaviour stems from naivety but also our over hygienic society indeed. Like you I beleive very much that those TV programmes have something to do with it - that instant garden make over with no patience and feelings of seasons, orientations, soil knowledge etc. but also the talk of chemicals use, again and again, with no consideration of consequences, when with patience a simple natural balance can be acheived. The 80s have a lot to answer for our designs but also the 50s for all chemical use. However, many of us are now united in our approach to wild garden and its benefits and that is not only with gardeners but designers as well. I deal with it constantly because I help maintain a few small urban gardens, and I often find myself having to explain that they can't have it both way - they want the wild and colourful appearance of a garden but won't accept the plants which make it so nor the bugs attracted to it. I had to remove 3 lavenders because of bees, in case little Jimmy gets bitten ...! Through my designs I always add a wild area, usually from an exsisting patch where I see an abondance of bugs and the attractive plants. I have never have to 'create' a wild area, however small the garden is. And I've made myself a promise that once I do get into designing for real clients, I will turn out work asking me for a modern style garden with no bugs, no smell, no life, no weeds. Because that is simply not a garden. |
When garden styles collide
In message , Alan Johnson
writes Robert wrote: (or are we just being old fashioned)? Yes, you probably are old-fashioned, possibly an old-fashioned gentleman? I would have thrown an utter and complete, extremely unsightly wobbly. Regards If only I was an old-fashioned gentleman (I may be old-fashioned but I do not think that I could aspire to being a gentleman). Please bear in mind that by the time I posted to urg I had cooled down considerably - perhaps I should have used capitals in my text to indicate where things got rather heated. I do admit that lost my cool somewhat when the neighbours opening gambit was 'what's the problem' in a somewhat aggressive manner and when I was accused of being lazy and taking advantage of the previous elderly occupant of their property by allowing our hedge to become a mess, I did go ballistic. I did, however retain sufficient control to advise them clearly of what they may and may not do. I am most upset/annoyed about the chunk of hawthorn hedge they cut down - I do appreciate that it was not and never could be a neatly trimmed hedge, hawthorn does not do neat, but they had placed 2 metre fence panels in front of it so that only about 30 cms would have been visible from their side. -- Robert |
When garden styles collide
Les Hemmings wrote:
George.com wrote: Now, that aside, you need to consider pay back and revenge for the damage done. Forget ranting & raving or legal action. You can achieve it without them suspecting whilst still enjoying their misfortune. Things I may recommend include seeding their nice new 'perfect' instant garden with an invasive weed such as thistle, dandelion or wandering jew. Arrange a manner of dispensing the seed to the most appropriate place in their garden without them suspecting you. Another way may be a glyphosate 'bomb' strategically directed on to a prize plant one evening. Ensure the delivery mechanism won't be discovered. Google 'seed bomb' or 'seed grenade'. Best of luck. Rob Japenese Knot weed? Ah, but might it not strike back, I doubt that would recognise property boundaries either. |
When garden styles collide
In message , George.com
writes "Robert" wrote in message ... We returned home today from a couple of days away to find that the neighbours whose property runs across the bottom of our garden had kindly tidied up the bottom of our garden. The tidying up consisted of cutting down to ground level part of an old hawthorn hedge about 1.5 metres high with ivy growing up through it, some holly and pyracantha, all adjacent to but on our side of the boundary wall and an area of mature nettles about 1.5 x 2 metres that was well over a metre from the boundary. When asked about this kind act they explained that they did not like nettles and the untidy area and that it should be all right for us as we had another hedge which separated this part of our garden from our property and we would not see it. The fact that they had placed a 2 metre fence between our properties seemed to have escaped them. Admittedly the level of our garden is about .6/.7 metre higher than their garden so it is possible that they may have been able to have seen the tops of the nettles. They do have an absolutely immaculate modern instant garden which is all grey painted fence panels, different paving styles and hard landscaping in the style of Dairmuid Gavin. Not our style at all (we are busy turning much of our rear garden into a wildlife garden) but we do not publicly question their wish to create a garden style which they find pleasing. When I explained what we were trying to achieve they said 'I suppose that means more nettles and brambles', 'you are being lazy' and 'flies come from your garden - why don't you take your grass cuttings to the council tip'. The strange thing is that there have been no disagreements between us in the relatively short time since they took the property over - we actually helped them when they wanted an old, dead stump of a Turkey oak removed (shame really as it is where the Tawny owl used to frequently park itself). I have explained to them that they may not enter our garden again - they are welcome to cut back any foliage that hangs over the boundary but entering our garden to 'tidy up' the bits they do not like is definitely out and that if we wish to allow nettles to grow to attract Red Admiral and Comma butterflies then that really is up to us. I commend you for your principled apparoach to handling this. Outwardly calm and laying down further instructions about how things will happen without losing your rag. It also allows you to maintain a positive relationship with your neighbours. Now, that aside, you need to consider pay back and revenge for the damage done. Forget ranting & raving or legal action. You can achieve it without them suspecting whilst still enjoying their misfortune. Things I may recommend include seeding their nice new 'perfect' instant garden with an invasive weed such as thistle, dandelion or wandering jew. Arrange a manner of dispensing the seed to the most appropriate place in their garden without them suspecting you. Another way may be a glyphosate 'bomb' strategically directed on to a prize plant one evening. Ensure the delivery mechanism won't be discovered. Google 'seed bomb' or 'seed grenade'. Best of luck. Rob As for me being outwardly calm please see my response to Alan Johnson. Many thanks for the revenge ideas. I do not think I could glyphosate a plant or, as another poster suggests, use Japanese Knotweed (I think that the latter would be like using nuclear weapons to enforce a parking fine :) but when our wildflowers produce seed later this year it could be an opportunity to enlighten others as to the benefits of wildlife friendly gardening. -- Robert |
When garden styles collide
"Robert" wrote in message ... We returned home today from a couple of days away to find that the neighbours whose property runs across the bottom of our garden had kindly tidied up the bottom of our garden. snipped How dare they !!!!!!!! You must be a saint to have responded as you did! I would ask them for compensation money and go out and buy new hedgerow shrubs etc and re-plant ! Jenny |
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