Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour cutting down our trees.

86 replies

MimsyFluff · 29/03/2017 10:58

We bought our house three years ago, at the end of our garden we have a path to our allotment and next to my allotment is pigeon man he has 4 huge sheds full of them. He has offered to buy the allotment repeatable till I told him we would never sell it. We are turning it into a garden, play area and fruit orchard.

Last year we planted three fruit trees, he was saying we couldn't plant trees because his pigeons would go in them, I told him we would be planting the trees he started shouting and swearing at me in front of the DC (2,5 and 7 at the time)! So I changed the layout and planted two trees closer to his side (3 meters) because the play area was going to be that end so moved the orchard to his end.

We went down yesterday evening to mow it and trim the hedge. Fruit trees are fine but his been in and cut down three saplings

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Original poster
MimsyFluff · 29/03/2017 12:20

I would love to take up falconry but i don't have the time. I have said to DH we should get loads of bird of prey Grin

OP posts:
BoffinMum · 29/03/2017 12:23

Solicitor.
He's a fruitcake.

MumW · 29/03/2017 12:23

Naice's idea. Or obvious fake one monitored by real but hidden one to catch him tampering.

Real jealous of your allotment - our garden is too small and wrongly sited for a proper veg patch.

morningconstitutional2017 · 29/03/2017 12:29

Who owns the land? Is it the local authority? Couldn't you get in touch with them over any disputes? They could act as an intermediary between you. He shouldn't have cut down your trees in any case.

Original poster
MimsyFluff · 29/03/2017 12:34

We own the land. I'm ordering expensive fruit trees so that save myself a prison sentence I don't want the killing of the silver birch to be the start of "I've got away with the rest i can chop these down too" thought process of him.

Think I'll pop over to the police station

OP posts:
Original poster
MimsyFluff · 29/03/2017 12:37

I'm a bit of a hippy with fruit trees and tell DH often that there is barely any in people's gardens anymore. I'm planting for future generations

OP posts:
stealtheatingtunnocks · 29/03/2017 12:38

Also, pigeons will eat your fruit blossom. All of it.

You'll need to hang CDs and ribbons and flappy things to keep them off.

You could chuck on a load of pretty, noisy wind chimes in your fruit trees to annoy your neighbour, if you thought of it.

ClaryBeanHorshAndMe · 29/03/2017 12:38

First of all, you seem to have peculiar neighbours.

One is a pidgeon man, the other one thinks there are aliens... Grin

can you get one of these fake (or even a real, there are pretty cheap) secuirty cameras and get a biiiig shield saying seeing as there were damages your trees are now under video surveilance or something?

SilverDragonfly1 · 29/03/2017 12:40

In that case, sod him! Just get fences up before you plant the trees and consider planting them far enough away from the fence that he can't just lean over and damage them. I understand you wanting them as a screen but they won't survive that so you might have to compromise your plans a bit. And good for you! I love trees.

KingLooieCatz · 29/03/2017 12:42

Do report to police. You might well be pleasantly surprised. A teen party down the road resulted in many tyres being slashed, reported to police and the officer that came out went hunting for clues, we realized some of my plants at the front had been damaged and the officer included that as a crime. Had they found the random idiot that decided to create havoc for a bunch of strangers, they would have got done for that too.

Allthebestnamesareused · 29/03/2017 12:42

I was confused by the use of your term allotment which round here is a patch of land that is rented from the local authority for which there is a mahooooosive waiting list due to it being really trendy and healthy to grow your own veg etc.

The reality is it is a part of your garden and yours to do with what you wish! Fence in, lockable gates, screen and ignore the loony nasty old man. Ask Alien watcher what sort of stuff you should be planting that is alien-friendly Grin

Original poster
MimsyFluff · 29/03/2017 12:45

The trees are to far away to be a screen when they grow i want all the fruit over the allotment will be handed out to nice neighbour's Ike we do with the rhubarb

OP posts:
RainbowChasing · 29/03/2017 14:02

You live in my perfect world...fruit trees, allotments, fire pits, alien believing neighbours. It's all perfect, just perfect. Sigh.

TheWitTank · 29/03/2017 14:26

Fences and then liberally apply anti climb paint around the top, and lock up.

TheWitTank · 29/03/2017 14:29

If you are planning fairly big fences that is!

Rainydayspending · 29/03/2017 14:33

Where are you? If there are no restrictions you could rent out your land for falconry Grin

milliemolliemou · 29/03/2017 14:41

Great story and good luck - but do look up leylandii if that's the fast growing plant you're thinking of putting in. They can look lovely if pruned properly and frequently and kept to 5-6 foot but they are potentially 60 footers with massive roots and potential spread and tend to poison the ground they're in.

TapOut · 29/03/2017 14:45

I really wouldn't plant leylandii - they are awful trees unless you live in the middle of nowhere... they are really ugly and grow ridiculously fast. They are also of little value for wildlife. There are so many beautiful native trees or shrubs that you could use instead. I know the alternatives are not as cheap and effective at screening but the end result would be a million times nicer.

Sorry for my leylandii rant Grin

Another thing you could consider is just replanting the silver birch with a single multi stem one. Silver birch are fast growing and most grow to a reasonable size. Having three on your allotment area was always going to be a squeeze. The multistem varieties are really pretty. I've got one and I love it. I did get it topped when it was smaller as they have a tendency to shoot upwards and end up super tall and gangly.

🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲

ThatsNotMyMummy · 29/03/2017 14:50

I love your idea, it will be lovely and will fit in with the allotment idea of the land.

Ive got some lovely old apple trees in my garden, they are wonderful. If I'm making a roast i just nip out and pick some for crumble pudding.

Its sad the demise of hedges and trees in our gardens has a lot to do with the problems wildlife is having.

worridmum · 29/03/2017 14:52

be warned dont plant your fruit trees within 10 meters of leylandii they absorb most of the nutrients within the soil in a wide area and some species of them infact posion other trees and or out compete them.

WutheringTights · 29/03/2017 14:52

Don't put your play area next to his sheds. The pigeons will crap all over it when they fly in and out, and he'll be letting them out for exercise twice a day. You won't believe the amount of crap they will produce. Daughter of a pigeon fancier here.

worridmum · 29/03/2017 14:55

or atleast thats what my garderner uncle told my friend when she asked why her pear trees appeared to be dying (they apprently were too close to the leylandii they had planted) he went round to have a look.

But I am not a expert though

FrenchLavender · 29/03/2017 15:05

That is a BOSS diagram OP well done. It's made my day.

wideboy26 · 29/03/2017 15:15

Is your alien obsessed neighbour David Icke?