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

"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 !!

"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

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

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

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

On 5 Jun, 12:17, Robert wrote:
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.

Oh good. There's fire in there somewhere then. That's a relief.

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 had that problem on my allotment with one member of the committee.
You've guessed it, I wasn't calm and I didn't retain any control when
she told me my hedge of blackberries finishing with a huge hawthorn
going down to the railway, both on *my* plot, wasn't tidy for *that*
allotments site. To me that's sounded like 'in this country we don't
do it like this'... Well, I scared her to death, because I don't think
she was prepared to hear what I had to tell her about her plot. Funny
enough she now likes me, in fact she even gave me a couple of scaffold
planks for free. I think she's after some of my blackberries ;o)

On Tue, 5 Jun 2007 12:17:24 +0100, Robert wrote
(in article ):

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.

snip


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.



I agree with the others, that's a truly horrific story and I too would have
gone ballistic. I hope you told them that it is (I believe) against the law
to cut a hedge during the nesting season.



--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk
Burne-Jones/William Morris window in Shropshire church:
http://www.whitton-stmarys.org.uk

In message et, Sally
Thompson writes

I agree with the others, that's a truly horrific story and I too would have
gone ballistic. I hope you told them that it is (I believe) against the law
to cut a hedge during the nesting season.


Unfortunately it is not against the law to cut a hedge during the
nesting season. It is an offence to intentionally damage or destroy a
nest in use or whilst being built, under the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981, however, 'intentionally' is the get out.

You may be thinking of Natural England's Environmental Stewardship
scheme for agricultural land which requires that hedgerows under
management must not be cut between 1 March and 31 July. From memory
there is around 178,000 Km of farm hedgerows under this requirement at
the moment which is a step in the right direction.

--
Robert

On Tue, 5 Jun 2007 22:51:56 +0100, Robert wrote
(in article ):

In message et, Sally
Thompson writes

I agree with the others, that's a truly horrific story and I too would have
gone ballistic. I hope you told them that it is (I believe) against the law
to cut a hedge during the nesting season.


Unfortunately it is not against the law to cut a hedge during the
nesting season. It is an offence to intentionally damage or destroy a
nest in use or whilst being built, under the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981, however, 'intentionally' is the get out.

You may be thinking of Natural England's Environmental Stewardship
scheme for agricultural land which requires that hedgerows under
management must not be cut between 1 March and 31 July. From memory
there is around 178,000 Km of farm hedgerows under this requirement at
the moment which is a step in the right direction.



Yes, I probably am thinking of the latter. However, your neighbours may not
know the difference :-) As people who are also trying to manage their land
for wildlife and have plenty of "untidy" areas, our hearts go out to you.



--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk
Burne-Jones/William Morris window in Shropshire church:
http://www.whitton-stmarys.org.uk

In message et, Sally
Thompson writes

I agree with the others, that's a truly horrific story and I too would have
gone ballistic. I hope you told them that it is (I believe) against the law
to cut a hedge during the nesting season.


Unfortunately it is not against the law to cut a hedge during the
nesting season. It is an offence to intentionally damage or destroy a
nest in use or whilst being built, under the Wildlife and Countryside
Act 1981, however, 'intentionally' is the get out.

You may be thinking of Natural England's Environmental Stewardship
scheme for agricultural land which requires that hedgerows under
management must not be cut between 1 March and 31 July. From memory
there are around 178,000 Km of farm hedgerows under this requirement at
the moment which is a step in the right direction.

--
Robert

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

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

In message , Kate
Morgan writes


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

Kate - apologies if my post caused any disharmony in the Morgan
household. Whilst one of my motives for the post was undoubtedly to
seek sympathy for what I clearly consider to be an outrageous act I was
also interested to see if anyone would take up the issue on behalf of my
neighbours and if so what case they would make.

I have given this matter some thought and I admit that I would be
unhappy if a neighbour's garden became an eyesore, but I think that I
would define eyesore as something as being completely alien to the
concept of a garden e.g. something along the lines of a storage area for
rusting car bodies.

I have already indicated that I am not a fan of my neighbours style of
garden as it appears to me to be a sterile environment, but I do support
their right to interpret their space in their chosen manner.

Being as objective as I can be I accept that an old hawthorn/holly/ivy
hedge (although trimmed and topped less than 10 months ago) is not
anywhere as neat as a closely trimmed conifer hedge or fence panels. I
also accept that stands of nettles are not everyone's idea of an
attractive garden plant, even if only the very tops are visible.

Perhaps the way to think of this is that the modern 'perfect image'
style garden promoted by garden makeover programmes is not as forgiving
to its surroundings as the style supported by more relaxed, plant
focussed, gardening programmes.

--
Robert

On 5/6/07 16:51, in article , "Robert"
wrote:
snip

I have already indicated that I am not a fan of my neighbours style of
garden as it appears to me to be a sterile environment, but I do support
their right to interpret their space in their chosen manner.

Being as objective as I can be I accept that an old hawthorn/holly/ivy
hedge (although trimmed and topped less than 10 months ago) is not
anywhere as neat as a closely trimmed conifer hedge or fence panels. I
also accept that stands of nettles are not everyone's idea of an
attractive garden plant, even if only the very tops are visible.

Perhaps the way to think of this is that the modern 'perfect image'
style garden promoted by garden makeover programmes is not as forgiving
to its surroundings as the style supported by more relaxed, plant
focussed, gardening programmes.

You know, Robert, I think you could send this to e.g. Gardener's World. I
do, really. I think it could make an interesting programme and I think,
too, that these programmes should be thinking of emphasising the need to
provide areas for wildlife in even the tiniest of gardens. The modern trend
is in that direction, not in that of concrete and steel and sunloungers.
That is rather passé now. Emphasise that, the urging to consider global
warming, start composting etc. and suggest they start a new series by
interviewing you and your neighbour to demonstrate opposing points of view.
Of course, if you happen to get a hedgehog or three into your garden.......
;-)

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)