Last fucking straw

[sarahC40]

Handhold please and advice (on how not to utterly lose my shit or get arrested for this). It’s not been a great lockdown.

Saving Grace: my garden. Lovely tree, probably in the wrong place but predates the houses, was cut down without warning, so that my view, which was of said lovely tree, is now of the back of someone’s house. They have now closed all of their blinds because, yes, we are now overlooking each other.

The tree is in no man’s land between the gardens - it doesn’t belong to them. They’ve got down everything that overhung my garden (my son woke up to find men climbing over my fence and most of tree gone) and they’ve left a twenty foot high stump. My other neighbours were open mouthed in shock, so this isn’t just me sounding off; it’s horrendous.

I know there’s nothing that I can do, but I would like some vengeful suggestions that I won’t act on but will help me as I try to stop crying at the fucking awful sight of their fugly house.

I would check with council as I'm under the understanding that some trees cant just be cut down and against the law to do so. I would be fuming if it happened to me

my neighbour asked if he could cut a part of my dads tree down as it was overhanging ....fair enough my dad let them cut the overhanging branches .. next year they asked my dad if they could cut the rest of the tree down as there were too many birds sitting on it and the noise of them were obviouslt annoying them next they moaned about their poop was stopping them sitting out / them sunbathing at the back of their garden... my dad had been in the house 40 + years and my neighbours 25 and never found it an issue ... the other day we were asked to stop feeding teh birs seeds as tehy were pooping on his black car ... told him to move his car up the driveways as i don't own the wild birds ....

Hope you've found some beautiful replacements, I for one much prefer trees to people. They're far more useful, always beautiful to look at and probably contain more wisdom :D

You're neighbour is a waste of DNA

Not as close but our local woods have been decimated over the last year two years. Two massive areas completely chopped. It looks like a war zone and is so depressing. Apparently they were chopped due to disease and non native trees. They are replanting but not sure how long it'll take to grow a decent size.

Make sure you all wave and shout out of your windows every time you spot her in the garden? Be a visible nuisance, and annoy her with pointed comments, without being actually actionable.. She might even plant something to protect her privacy.

Bloody Philistines! So Feel for you, that’s such a shame 😢. Great suggestion about planting one of those quick growing trees (not lleylandii!!) VerityWibblyWobbly I can’t believe your story!! God there are some morons around! 😫

Op I can really empathise. The house which backed onto us had a small mature orchard which was an absolute delight. Beautiful blossom in spring, habitat for a myriad of birds etc. Came home one day to find that they had all been felled. Like you I was terribly upset. As the houses behind us were on higher ground we suddenly found ourselves overlooked by five houses too. Next door neighbours, also overlooked, put up an 8 ft fence within their boundary and we moved to France!

Plant some rapidly growing bamboo. Not the most neighbourly of plants but they grow so quickly they will soon block out the other house. You can keep then tall and feathery by thinning them out. Cant think of anything other than lelandii to block their house. you can still plant a nice cherry tree but they take ages to grow.

Large inflatable cock helium balloon on your dividing fence to black the view?

Really feel for you OP. Evil developer came into my garden to cut down some trees that were overhanging his “land “ the branches were over a stream, not even shading the land at all, it was just spitefulness.
We had to cut down some dangerous trees recently and even though it was necessary for safety reasons we felt terrible !

Sending you loads of sympathy, OP. Sheer bastardry. Do contact the RSPB about cutting a tree during nesting season, and the council to ask about tree protection order.
Also, did the presence of the tree help them get planning permission for their loft extension, which very intrusively overlooks your windows? Worth asking the council if they’re allowed to change the conditions like this.
I’d be planting the dreaded leylandii ...

Thank you so much for the sympathy. I’m feeling better because I’m now shopping for a gigantic replacement and planning a newbie for my garden. To continue to share the love of trees and move this thread about love of nature (and leaving trees to get on with being trees as much as possible) could I ask that you share a pic, with the species of your favourite trees or a suggestion - my garden is tiny (very shallow flower beds) so I’m going to have to do a bit of landscaping. I’d like a very slender stem with no low branches; it’s got to be tough (soil isn’t wonderful and v free draining, although might get a bit damper now, I guess? No expert) and I’d love beautiful foliage. Anything with berries or catkins etc. very welcome. Would you go for a native species? Would you go for something that flowers? Disadvantages or tips to watch out for welcome. This is my first planting 😂

Our budget is about £500, so we can go mature to monster in size for our new tree.

Rowan might be what need.

How about an Amanogawa (sp?) cherry? Tall, but narrow, and lovely pink blossom, reasonably quick growing too..

Is there any chance that you will be able to have a 'word' with her about it all?

Plant a willow, they root very easily from a cutting and grow fast. Just cut a few small branches off a willow tree and push into the ground.

how tall do you want to go? silver birch have catkins but very tall. how about mulberry or a rowan?

Are you absolutely, 100% sure that the land is "no mans land". That sounds very unusual, perhaps check your deeds, (as there is an admittedly small chance it was your land and your tree.)

A magnolia or a cherry for the wonderful spring blossom.

@LegendDairy

They cut a tree down during nesting season?

It's permitted if you can check it's not got any actual nesting birds. I was nearly in that position last year as lock down delayed getting permission from Canal and Rivers Trust and tree surgeon didn't have dates til into April but the stance was very much 'if it's not disturbing birds, you can proceed'

@Sueq49

I would check with council as I'm under the understanding that some trees cant just be cut down and against the law to do so. I would be fuming if it happened to me

You mean Tree Preservation Orders? You can cut the trees down, you just have to seek permission from the council first. (been there, done that, no longer have the awful large willow that shouldn't even have a TPO on it in the first place)

Sorry about the ignorant neighbours OP, I’d have been furious too. Enjoy choosing your new tree! ... and winding up the neighbour when you get the chance...

Surely its illegal for neighbours to get a tree chopped down on land that doesn’t belong to them?! Do hope the trunk starts to sprout again but I’d be planting a few trees at the end of my garden. We have a weeping silver birch which is pretty all year round and is apparently one of the best species for soaking up traffic emissions. Or plant a small orchard, fingers up to the shitbag neighbours

Try an Amelanchier they grow really fast and have beautiful Spring blossom and gorgeous new foliage colour and Autumn interest too . Plus they're a big shrub so lots of woody twigs to provide Winter shielding. I'm so sorry about the tree 🌲