Neighbour does not like the look of my garden - threatening to sue

[craxmum]

A new neighbour has moved in last month (we are sharing a wall in a semi-detached property). She seems to have a major issue with the way my garden looks (just paid me a visit at 7am on Sunday to inform me that she hasn't slept properly since she had a party last night and her guests were apparently "aghast"). First thing she did after moving in was decking and astroturfing her back garden fence to fence (the bits that weren't already covered in concrete).

She did mention it a couple of times before, but I never thought it bothers her that much. Now she made a vague threat of suing me for damage to her assets, as apparently her house value and enjoyment of her property is impacted. I mean, she bought it a couple of weeks ago (at the normal market value as far as I can see from the open sources), surely she made the decision with full awareness of what my garden looks like? She added a couple of personal insults (about me being foreign etc) as well.

My garden is a bit informal allotment style. We grow berries, tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, beans, herbs - stuff like that, also have a couple of dwarf fruit trees. Sunflowers all over the place at the moment. I have two small children (3 and 5), they absolutely love it and they have their own little experimentation areas. There is a bit of lawn, but with two dogs it is not in great shape - trimmed, but with some bald patches. There is an occasional weed or two, or maybe ten. Plenty of butterflies and bees. A composter (of a posh type, fully closed and maintained, not leftovers rotting in a bin). There is a water butt and sometimes watering cans / other gardening equipment lying around. I mean, it is by no means perfect, and can sometimes be messy and looks quite rustic, but I absolutely cannot see what I can do to comfort her apart from ripping all vegetation out and paving over.
AIBU?

Take photos, dated, of her garden and yours. Make a note of the conversation including time and date.
Then do nothing but smile and say hello when you see her but don't engage in any discussion or conversation.
I'd be upset that a new neighbour seemed so unfriendly. I would ignore and certainly not say anything like some of the offensive remarks on this thread.

pennycarbonara - definitely Margo from The Good Life!
OP - her guests were ‘aghast’ -
I can imagine them fanning themselves to prevent any fainting Jane Austin style whilst dressed in all their finery!
Also....what a huge twat, please encourage her to sue you - hilarious!

Sounds like my neighbour. I e just bought a semi & hugs very first question to me was when are you going to sort the garden out?
I told him I work full time, also spend huge amount of time looking after my disabled mum to the extent I can't move in yet and it will be done when I'm ready.
I mean, mines not great, but it's not a nightmare!

I wish I lived next door to you! I'd be super nice in case extra veg came my way!!! Lol 😂🤣😂🤣

Buy her a box set of ‘The Good Life’ from the 1970’s

OP - sod her!
Your garden doesn't sound too bad (and I fully sympathise with the dogs/bald patches thing as we have clay soil and two dogs so also have a messed up lawn). I was expecting you to say it's full of rubbish or something.
Just keep enjoying your allotment garden and teaching your children valuable lessons in nature and leave her to it.
Based on the fact she had to use personal insults, shows she's a nasty witch - much like the one I have next door to me. One week she was screaming at me in the garden that we "live like pigs" (don't see how, seeing as our home is clean and tidy and our clothes are always clean - I have mobility issues so can't do the gardening like I used to) because a fence panel which SHE broke and then SHE put into our garden toppled against her rose tree ..... then a couple of weeks later, she was all sweetness and light as MY husband replaced all of her fence panels for free and then has left them in our garden for the trip to the tip that's now 4 months overdue - he lets her get away with it because she's older than us (doesn't stop her from being a nasty, rude gitbag though - are you sure we don't share a next door neighbour?)

First of all congratulations on actually gardening and gowing things.Your garden sounds a delight and a child's paradise.And fantastic for our beleaguered wildlife.You are right and your neighbour is completely out of order.I probably inadvertently offended one of my near neighbours recently when she proudly showed me her newly 'landscaped 'back garden.Devoid of any shrubs and real grass,a paved and astroturfed outdoor room ,when I jokingly (not) asked if she was going to cut a hedgehog hole in her fences.Absolutely not she replied,I don't want hedgehogs in my garden.Made me very sad.I'm lucky enough to have a lovely big garden and am filling it with pollinating plants ,and most of it is tidy but deliberately leaving scruffy areas and log piles at the end. Our grandchild adores it and all she wants to do is explore the garden when she comes.Politely ignore her.She could have a neighbour with a sterile garden next door who had a hot tub and outdoor speakers blaring out at all hours -my idea of hell.

Your garden sounds wonderful. The only thing I could think someone could have a reason to be annoyed was if you had a compost heap next to the joint walk that was attracting flies but I see you have that all properly sorted out.

What a strange woman - even if she thinks it would somehow impact her property value, how would that even matter unless she is trying to sell again very quickly ?

OP ignore your new neighbour.
Be polite but if she mentions it again tell her firmly that "it's our garden and we like it". As pp have said, make a note of her complaints to you in case it escalates.
I thought you were going to say your garden was full of old car tires or something similar!

Wait until she is next out in her garden and you, dh and the dc go out and start excitedly start talking to each other about where the best place for a home made chicken coup would be.

Print this thread off and stick it through her door. Here you go love, hundreds of people think you're batshit crazy. She'll probably drop her monocle and keel over.

Her guests were aghast, more likely they were saying how nice your garden is.

A friend had the diseased leylandii at the bottom of the garden removed. NDN red faced and in tears at her front door "I can see a house! You've ruined my view, how dare you!" The NDN, from the far corner of her large garden, could now glimpse a bit of rooftop in the road behind. In a TOWN.

Google's definition of a garden is "a piece of ground adjoining a house, used for growing flowers, fruit, or vegetables." It says nothing about astroturf or decking.

The piece of ground adjoining the batshit neighbour's house sounds ghastly and does not sound remotely like a garden . You should tell her you are concerned about the local rat population taking up residence underneath her decking.

What a cheeky mare. Your garden looks and sounds beautiful. Hers sounds crap. Astroturf?? Is she hosting a five-a-side tournament? I'm also cracking up at the idea at people coming from a party and being AGHAST that the house next door has a normal garden. I don't think I've ever even noticed someone else's garden when I've been to a party?!

Next time she says anything about it you need to shut down the discussion, otherwise she will just keep going on and on.

"I like my garden just the way it is, I have no plans on changing it and there is no need for you to bring it up again"

Your garden sounds fantastic by the way (mine's full of weeds right now)

If she comes round again refer her to the response given in Arkel v Pressdram.

Then invite the local hunt round for tea. (Loud, obnoxious and very very British)

Sorry, I didn't get further than she came round to tell you her guests were aghast. I'd have struggled to keep a straight face. Your garden sounds lovely. I'd be tempted to throw some lots of garden gnomes into the mix too and maybe get some windchimes too. Just to wind the daft mare up more.

As you will probably know OP many gardeners / allotmenteers are worried about gardens such as your neighbours. This country is small. It relies on wildlife in the garden. Wildlife will not arrive in an astroturfed decked garden.

I’m a bit worried about the weed killer over the fence comment up above. My lovely old in laws had that happen to them.
Could you stretch to cctv to cover that side? I saw some on Aldi that looked a good spec.

Send her a message "I will tell Alan Titchmarsh, he was my garden designer - he was a bit concerned about your garden though"

Also what’s she on about, not doing it like this in britain?? She thinks Astro turf is some sort of ye olde traditional garden and fruit veg and trees are somehow weird and unBritish?!
No, it was along the lines - "we buy tomatoes in supermarkets here you know". I am indeed originally from the third world (and even then I know what shops are ), but with a UK doctorate and a professional qualification/job, so was a bit
I actually fully get why she astro-turfed her garden, she has a health condition and probably needs it as stress-free as possible.

That’s what I first thought IIangennith - car tires, sofa, rotting bin bags etc would be a cause for concern and an environmental issue.
In contrast I can imagine OP’s garden to be part of a Secret Garden event where they are open to anyone to visit - to me it is a perfect garden that promotes wildlife and home-grown fruit and veg. I am sure any visitors would be “aghast” by OP’s neighbours garden in comparison!

Your neighbor is a complete add hat, just tell her to do one. Your garden sounds lovely, your not Tom and Barbara are you