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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU Or is this just tragic? What can I do?

215 replies

TigerTooth · 20/04/2019 10:58

I have a lovely (Ok - very child friendly) but still lovely mature garden.
We're away a lot, for months at a time sometimes, and backing on to our garden is a council estate. At the end of our garden, on the other side of the fence, so not ours, were lovely mature trees.They gave us and neighbour privacy and were beautiful.
New neighbour over the fence has cut the trees down, the whole lot, we now have a lovely view of his home - NOT.
I know I'm not BU as they were gorgeous mature trees but I'm posting really to vent and also to ask any green fingered MN's wwyd? I need something that grows super quickly and not too wide, that will look after itself whilst we're not here. He has also bought with him a menagerie of cats who shit in my garden daily.Any ideas on effective cat deterrents? We've tried a few to no avail. It stinks in the hot weather until we've been round and collected all the cat poo. I miss my green country garden.Before and after pics, it doesn't even look like the same garden but if you look at the trampoline then you can see the extent of his butchery. Any ideas on how to speedily cover the damage?

AIBU Or is this just tragic? What can I do?
AIBU Or is this just tragic? What can I do?
OP posts:
MardyMavis · 20/04/2019 11:32

I'd be gutted I could never cut trees down, it looks awful now.

niknac1 · 20/04/2019 11:33

I think staggering some shrubs, so whatever you grow isn’t a line to block out their light as that would not be fair on your neighbours. How about some bee friendly buddleia. If you go to a garden centre for ideas. They must have a much more pleasant garden now so it would be anti social to block their light with fast growing leylandi.

3dogs2cats · 20/04/2019 11:34

Yes sacrifice. I would plant a pear and a silver birch. Preached trees have their place in town garden but are a lot of work to maintain. Not leylandii

Justajot · 20/04/2019 11:35

We have black bamboo. We planted it with mesh stuff to stop it from spreading and either it's worked or it's not that naturally invasive. We used it to plug a gap in our back border and it filled in pretty quickly.

BeardedMum · 20/04/2019 11:36

I would have been gutted too.

viques · 20/04/2019 11:37

I bet your neighbour is regretting cutting the trees down now he realises you have sited your kids noisiest and most intrusive activities as close to his house and as far away from your house as you can!

Looks as though you took your second picture from an upstairs window, I don't imagine you are as overlooked, or can see as much of his house (which is fine btw) when you are in your garden.

I would put trellis on top of your fence, if it is yours, and grow stuff up it and along it, it will look bare in winter but give you screening in summer.

CorlysVelaryon · 20/04/2019 11:38

I think those trees must have completely dominated his garden so I can see why he's cut them back, but it has certainly made an enormous difference to your garden so I can also see why you are upset.

I think all you can do is move your shed and pant your own. Any garden centre will recommend something suitable.

BlueBell50 · 20/04/2019 11:40

We inherited a garden full of leylandii, we had no light and could not grow anything else. When we cut them down the next door neighbours came round to complain that we had ruined their outlook as our trees gave them a lovely backdrop to their garden.

IHateUncleJamie · 20/04/2019 11:41

I hate to see mature trees chopped down (except leylandii), shame for the birds and squirrels too. YANBU to be sad about the trees.

However, YABVVU to think that being a “Council Estate” has anything to do with it. The trees were in his garden and no doubt taking up way too much space and a lot of his light. His garden, his choice.

Re the cats, if the fence is yours (on your deeds) then investigate anti cat spikes. Other than that, a dog is the best deterrent.

Photinia Red Robin, tall pyracantha and cherry laurel would all be perfect at the end of your garden.

Yerroblemom1923 · 20/04/2019 11:44

Can they tidy up their stuff? Or is it always covered in plastic toys?

GabsAlot · 20/04/2019 11:45

if youre not there alot does it matter

HBStowe · 20/04/2019 11:48

@Stressedout10 don’t be so fucking rude. I don’t think any normal person would choose to stare into their neighbours windows instead of at some lovely mature trees. And OP never said they weren’t entitled to cut them down, she’s just sad that they did. Where the fuck you got your sneer about council houses from is beyond me.

OP - how about some trellising higher than your fence and some pyracantha? (Sorry if that’s spelled wrong!). It grows like billy-o, has beautiful bright berries and attracts birds. I’ve got one that has grown about 4 feet in a year.

Stressedout10 · 20/04/2019 11:49

Yerroblemom its the ops plastic crap not the neighbour's

Stressedout10 · 20/04/2019 11:52

HBstowe perhaps you should reread the ops post and her snide comments about council estate

GFgertie · 20/04/2019 11:52

I would be disappointed too.

To cover it quickly and inexpensively, I would start with trellis and clematis and/or honeysuckle. Then I would plant some trees which will eventually provide a screen.

mrsmuddlepies · 20/04/2019 11:57

Photinia is fast growing and evergreen. It is at its best with red leaves in January/February so many garden centres will have reduced the large specimens now.

saraclara · 20/04/2019 11:59

@HBstowe, it's the OP who appears to be sneering at having council houses at the bottom of her garden.

CorlysVelaryon · 20/04/2019 12:01

"HBstowe perhaps you should reread the ops post and her snide comments about council estate."

What snide comments? This one?

"We're away a lot, for months at a time sometimes, and backing on to our garden is a council estate."

Just seems factual for me, for context. Would you be offended if she'd said 'backing on to a new housing development' or 'backing on to a row of 1970s bungalows' or 'backing on to a terrace of 1930s cottages'?

pourmeanotherglass · 20/04/2019 12:03

I have a photinia red robin hedge at the front screening us from the main road. I planted it a couple of years ago from quite small plants, and it is now chest height. Not really fast growing, but fast enough - and it is stunning in spring when the leaves are all red.

Doobydoodah · 20/04/2019 12:03

With no helpful suggestions at all, I would be totally gutted in your position. Completely understand .

Our bamboo sometimes grows 12 inches in a week when we're on holiday. Sometimes I swear I can see it has grown after a day trip out. We cut our own bamboo canes every year so in a pot might be an option.

N2986 · 20/04/2019 12:04

Presumably they've cut the trees so they can have some light and you're looking to block their light back out again....Hmm not great for neighbourly relations. Isn't that just part and parcel of living non- rurally?

imamum21 · 20/04/2019 12:04

get some scent off cat repellent (they are granules) its not harmful but smells very strong, keep putting it down and will stop the cats, i had them using my driveway as a litter tray- someone moved in to a house with about 10 of them!! it does work

HiItsClemFandango · 20/04/2019 12:05

I'd be gutted too. Your privacy has just completely gone and your garden looks totally different. Hope you get some useful advice on here

beanaseireann · 20/04/2019 12:05

My neighbour has a bamboo hedge in his front garden. He keeps it trimmed and it has grown tall very quickly and it gives privacy.
I'd plant it.

slipperywhensparticus · 20/04/2019 12:05

Budhlia and lions poo you get screening butterflies cat deterrent and yes they do grow big fast