Not to mow the meadow

[Iburntthecakes]

We moved house last year and the front garden has had a lawn with an oak tree. DP and I are rather amateurish gardeners and are not good at mowing lawns every week so we've turned half into a meadow with some assistance from knowledgable PIL. It has a mown edge so it looks deliberate rather than overgrown and was already in such bad condition for a lawn that left to itself for the summer it has been covered in wildflowers and looked beautiful. :) PIL have been collecting suitable seeds to add to it.

The neighbour however is not happy. She angrily stood by whilst my FIL mowed half the lawn and the border, signalled for him to stop and demanded to know when the rest was going to be mown as she didn't want the weed seeds all over her garden.

FIL said she'd have to take it up with us as it wasn't his responsibility. He doesn't like confrontation and was quite upset.

There's a bit of a history with comments about our garden ie she keeps hinting we should chop down the oak tree because of the acorns dropping on her drive.

AIBU to continue to grow the meadow or is it antisocial and should I tell her we have to wait until after it's seeded to mow

[AKMD]

YANBU, unless it's a wasteland full of thorns and stinging nettles set off by a touch of rusting iron and worn tyre.

[pjmama]

She should get a bloody grip. Ignore, ignore, ignore.

[OhYouGreatGreatBritain]

It's your garden and your piece of conservation so yanbu but you will need to cut it a couple of times a year in order to get the best out of it.

meadow cutting

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

I can see why she's be annoyed if wildflower seeds are getting into her garden - they get everywhere and are a pig to get rid of.

But tough.. it's your garden :)

[RobotLover68]

I think you'll find oak trees are protected so you may not be able to chop it down. Check with your local authority about this

[BarbaraWoodlouseAspiringHooker]

It's a big job.

Takes 4 men, 3 men, 2 men, 1 man (and his dog).

YANBU.

[pjmama]

I'm going to have that song in my head all day now!

[Ormiriathomimus]

Don't forget the bottle of pop if you decide to. but no, you shouldn't.

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

damn you.

[AKMD]

Maybe I should insist that the council removes the field of dandelions opposite my house? I've counter-attacked with field poppies but they don't seem to have done much damage.

[DontEatTheVolesKids]

yanbu, it's your garden. Sounds wonderful!
I would offer to sweep her drive if the acorns are an issue.

[Ormiriathomimus]

But you will have to at some point. Meadows are only kept as meadows by being mowed or scythed once or twice a year. However if it's pretty I'd leave it until later when all the flowers are gone. Providing you have no ragwort or buttercup the hay will be much sought after as feed.

[nellie02]

Yanbu at all. Think of the help you're giving to birds and bumblebees, better than her garden I expect.

But you do need to do some maintenance or the bad weeds take over. But I think not with a normal lawnmower as it cuts it too short. And then you can reseed.

I bet your meadow is lovely, like one I saw at last year's chelsea flower show :)

[Ormiriathomimus]

Near my parent's house there was a meadow that had never been ploughed since it was first 'made'. It was fairly unique IIRC. It had the most amazing array of wildflowers including several orchids.

[SirEdmundFrillary]

I think it sounds lovely and will be good for butterflies, bees etc.

[nellie02]

posh meadow

[PetiteRaleuse]

YANBU. I suffer from hay fever and garden liks this make it worse BUT they are also very often more attractive and far better for the environment (bees, birds, insects) than perfectly manicured gardens where every blade of grass is individually polished.

In my area grass verges are left wild until autumn - the flowers during spring and summer make the drive to work pleasant !

I think I read somewhere tht there is a wild flower meadow in the Olympic park? Hopefully people will understand what a nice idea it is.

[lisaro]

Have you got a supersonic sausage dog (spot)?
Sorry I had to.

[SkinnyVanillaLatte]

Heaven help us all if she were ever to move to the countryside...

[PetiteRaleuse]

Olympic wildflower meadow

[carycach]

Ha ha someone beat me to ' the dog, a bottle of pop and a sausage roll!!'

before i decide if YABU how big is this meadow ?

[carycach]

also won't the tree have a preservation order on it?

[DozyDuck]

Just googles some meadow garden things. They look so beautiful! Much nicer than my mown twice Garden

[queenofthepirates]

Thought this was going to be a thread about not removing pubic hair
Hey ho, funny how some people's minds work....

[SirEdmundFrillary]

at pubic hair