to dislike my neighbours (kind of know I am being but still)?

[paprika88]

My neighbours aren't totally awful and we haven't argued but if I'm honest I don't like them much because of how they treat the enviroment.

The neighbours opposite us at the back, I kind of know I am being unreasonable but earlier this year they cut down all the beautiful tress and hedges which seperated our gardens (it was on their property). They also did away with their lawn and had hideous astroturf put down eradicating all sign of life because "it would be less hassle". They also put up a large shed to keep all the consumerist tat overspill from their house and installed a noisey (energy greedy) hot tube so they could "enjoy the outdoors" which creates more noise and keeps our little one awake.

We used to get a lot of bats in our garden in the spring through to early autumn but they haven't been this year. My tree chopping neighbours asked if I'd seen any bats and when I said no they remarked that it was strange they had disappeared and when I pointed out that the trees they cut down were a sources of food (bugs) and roosting for the bats and that they had no reason to return now they seemed surprised but shrugged it off.

All around me people are slabbing, decking and astroturfing their gardens with no thought to the negative longterm side effects such as flooding, more air pollution and less wildlife, it makes me quite angry.

The council round here provides a full range of recyclinging pick ups including food waste, plastics, metals etc. but on our street only one or two (including me) actually do it because having to sort waste is too inconvenient and spoils the look of the kitchen.

I know people will think I am being unreasonable but it just upsets me so much how inconsiderate people are of their enviroment and the other creatures. I do my best with my own patch of garden to encourage bees, incests, butterflys and birds but its like I am pissing against the wind.

Their unthinkingness just makes me dislike them on some level.

I'm a bit of a crap gardener & I can't seem to grow anything but I keep trying! I want a massive lavender bush to attract bees but they keep dying on me DD loves planting stuff so she's always got a few sunflowers on the go & we have bird feeders too. I want as much nature as possible in our garden!

We cut our hedges more than once a year but that's mainly down to laziness

I am heartened to hear so many do and want to make their gardens a haven for wildlife full or hedges and plants and trees. I guess we all just have to try and fight for our own little corner and help nature thrive.

We moved to a new-build estate and the builder planted flowering cherry trees one in front of each house. The number of people on the fb residents page who moaned about it! And then ripped the poor little trees right back out again.
The dream seems to be a boring expanse of lawn or, worse, astroturf, decking and a honking great trampoline.

Do bear in mind that some people who have AstroTurf do so because they have difficulty maintaining a lawn. Certainly, that’s the case where I live. Obviously, the OP’s neighbours are not in that category, but I do understand why some people want to see a green ‘lawn’ but can’t maintain it.

I agree too OP. I hate seeing everywhere being saved over. Even my DParents who I love, and who once loved gardening are doing it (I suspect as they age it will be easier but...)
We bought a house with a lovely garden last year. Don't have a clue how to do anything but it's mainly self care bushes and shrubs, it's a bit wild and crazy in places, and at the back of us is a railway line which is down a steepish drop. Loads of trees there, which is great as we know they'll always be there! It'll stay this way, with a few changes (getting rid of the awful pampus grass, and getting bits of the lawn filled in that are cut out in random shapes, which once probably had nice flowers in but are a bit bare now!)

Oh and we've seen loads of wildlife, birds (twice have saw a massive heron on the fence!!), squirrels, bats, frogs, foxes... ndn found his cat playing with a snake a few days ago. As much as I'm not ok with that, I wouldn't change it lol!

I passionately hate astroturf - when did it become a 'thing'? I'm terrible with plants of any sort but even I think that real lawns are pretty low maintenence.

I’m with you. Gardens are so important for wildlife. Astroturf wipes out a large area that can used used by animals for foraging. I believe some of them are permeable though. Another concern is how people block their gardens off with fencing so that hedgehogs can’t access them.

It’s a shame about the bats. Unfortunately their foraging and roosting places aren’t as protected as their breeding spaces. The council has a duty to protect and enhance biodiversity though, so I’d recommend getting in touch with the local authority’s ecologist (if they have one) for a quick chat.

maxthemartian, those poor trees never even had a chance I just don't understand people who could do something like that don't they understand the beauty and benefits trees bring? Grrrr!

RavenLG your garden sounds wonderful if it has all that wildlife then if sounds perfect!

You're neighbours sound a bit weird but it's their property so their business. If you want you could always plant some trees yourself.

Can't wait to get rid of all the grass in my garden, fucking hate cutting it.

My dm has got a gardener who mows her lawn through the summer. Yes it's an expense but it's a small one compared to paving or AstroTurf in one go. It's worth looking into as may be more affordable than people assume

You would hate me OP. I had my farm 'garden' dug up then covered with a membrane and then gravel and patio. I have absolutely no interest in gardening and the whole thing was a festering eyesore. I will plant some new trees in the neighbouring paddock though.

Biker47, so screw nature just because its an inconvenience to you? Thats exactly the sort of attitude that catagorises the unthinking, insensitive, irresponsible people I am talking about.

paprika I know, it made me so sad!
Ours is doing great though and is an absolute joy come spring with it's pretty pink blossoms.

I had some guy round to clean the carpets and he started going on about how the roots would undermine the house foundations and if it was him he'd chop it down. I felt like decking him. How big does they think they get ffs?

I get it OP. Some lovely streets around here now look like concrete jungles with front gardens covered in tarmac to park their four cars, flagged back gardens with a single solitary tub of dandelions because they like low maintenance. Trees chopped down because of the leaves, yeh I hate leaves in October, but it's a small sacrifice.

I only have a small garden, I planted a plum, apple and crap apple tree for the blossom and bees, lots of cheap shrubs and flowers (Morrisons has the best cheap plants that grieve in my garden) cat mint for the cats (mine and those passing through) and butterflies, hedges for he birds.

I love it. I have a wonderful tiny manageable piece of the countryside.

My people!! I couldn't agree with you more, anyone that cannot see the fundamentally atrocious state of affairs that replacing lawn with AstroTurf represents, well, I will go there, they are awful awful people and it breaks my heart. We need to be educating children in primary schools about what an ecosystem is and how it needs to be intact to support life so that this sort of thinking is eradicated. There, I got it out, I shall remove my judgeypants now and continue to see the silently. Not sorry

YANBU, OP. I totally agree with you.

@paprika88 I totally get it. I even leave loads of stinging nettles growing as peacock butterflies lay their eggs on the leaves.
YANBU

Derxa, your garden sounds grim sadly but at least you will plant some trees.

MinorRSole, good point, people forget this option which can be quite cheap and they also forget their is still a cost and hassle to upkeep the alternatives to lawns such as decking and paving and astroturf.

Biker47, so screw nature just because its an inconvenience to you?

Pretty much, it's my land to do with what I want to. I'm even getting a hot tub in the future as well ;)

I agree with op Astro turf is awful. It’s for people who really shouldn’t have a garden, they can always go to the pub beer garden

Hell mend you Biker47, hell mend you!

My neighbours have a neat garden, even the shrubs are cut into rectangles and look very odd. Once a year they have some little flowers planted in one border. Every week they have pretend gardeners round to hack anything down that has dared to grow, but they use industrial equipment to do this. They took out all the greenery at the end of the garden and then wondered why they had no privacy so have now planted Leylandii.

Just down the road there was a beautiful house with a lovely garden, raised veg. beds, flowers, grass, trees. House was wrecked, conservatory smashed up rather than dismantled and all the trees have been cut down and chipped, complete with nesting birds, the shrubs have gone. Nothing natural is left.

For your own privacy - why don't you plant some trees on your side?
Suggest apple or pear? Provide fruit after a couple of years and don't grow too tall.
If you want privacy maybe popular tree would provide screening without blocking sunlight.
Or maybe a hedge?