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

[TigerTooth]

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?

What’s the issue with calling a council house ugly? Genuine question, they’re hardly built for aesthetics are they? Mine is ex council and looks like a rough casted shoebox

@mypuppy
The house in question looks absolutely fine. Most overpriced new builds are ugly shoeboxes.

Bamboo hedge. It’s exempt from high hedge laws so they can’t whinge about the height and the council can’t make you cut it down.

Bought houses can absolutely be ugly too, it’s not exclusive to council properties I agree. I read the OP as being upset that the trees have been removed (reasonably or otherwise) rather than being judgemental of the council houses they’re backed onto.

Old Council Houses are incredibly well built and solid. Much better than new builds.

We have them at the end of our garden. They’re staggered; the privately owned one houses the most obnoxious “Christian” family ever. They are loud, inconsiderate, antisocial and lying twats.

The people in the “council house” still owned by the Local Authority don’t cause us any issue; you’d hardly know anyone lived there. 🤷🏻‍♀️

You lost me when you said council houses. If you don’t want to see council houses move 🏠.

The difference is staggering. Poor you!

I would be gutted too OP, I love looking out at greenery. I don’t think the type of house is relevant, it would be the same if it was a naice Edwardian house in W.London.

Yes, Leylandii and a water pistol for the cats.

Just plant your own trees on your side of the fence if you are that bothered. The previous ones weren't particularly anything special.

There are two main types of bamboo - phyllostachys and fargesia.

Phyllostachys is the running variety - the roots run underground and then pop up and it can grow inches in a day! It's also the most common stuff you'll see in B&Q and most garden centres. Lovely stuff but very invasive unless you plant it in a trench lined with concrete slabs (plastic and pond liner is no good as the roots will go straight through). Even then you need to go at it every year with a sharp spade to stop the roots going over the top.

Fargesia is the clumping variety. It does spread but slowly and the roots don't run - so if it pops up somewhere that you don't want it, you simply cut the culm (the cane) down to ground level and that's it. You can get fast growing varieties which will put on 30-60cm in a year. Fargesia Campbell Robusta is a good variety (which I have in my garden). As the name suggests it's quite tough, can take some wind (most bamboo don't like very exposed positions) and is also good in full sun (many want part shade).

We're at the start of the bamboo growing season (normally late Apr - early May to August) so now is the best time to get it in the ground. For preference I wouldn't pot it, because the roots can freeze in the winter and they also don't like 'wet feet' (so you have to be careful not to over-water). It can be tricky to find fargesia in garden centres and it is a bit more expensive than phyllostachys (because it's better behaved!). The best place I have found to buy it is Charella (google them). They also have an Amazon shop if you have prime membership, as you might be able to get free delivery.

Alternatively I'd go for photinia red robin - take full sun well, can be trained into a tree or a pleached arrangement if you wish. Left as a shrub it has quite a nice loose habit and looks lovely waving in the breeze. Reasonably quick growing as well.

It’s lovely to look at greenery. However, if the price for it is to deprive your neighbours of natural light in their home and decent space in their garden, then it has to go, and if you want, you can replace it with something more reasonable, at a cost to yourself.

Even if the neighbours are council tenants

In the mean time, paint the back fence dark green and add some additional dark green trellis to stick above it. You could train some ivy on it while waiting for the leylandii to grow.

Or if you want to stop the cats scrambling over the fence then go for Pyracantha although you'll need a very good pair of long leather gloves for maintaining it as the thorns are very sharp (but they'll stop the cats from coming across). It stays evergreen, grows quite quickly and isn't very fussy about soil or position. The birds love the berries so it's good for wildlife and it's easy peasy to get hold of.

What a shame! I would be upset too.

Agree with posters saying plant bamboo or golden leilandi and maybe in the meantime a trellis or translucent fence panels. Re the cats, you can get spikes fixed to the top of your fences to keep them out.
Or one of those cat silhouettes with glowing eyes, or lion manure. Or just spray them with water, they'll soon go elsewhere to poo!

It’s lovely to look at greenery. However, if the price for it is to deprive your neighbours of natural light in their home and decent space in their garden, then it has to go, and if you want, you can replace it with something more reasonable, at a cost to yourself.

There is a price we all pay for getting rid of greenery, it’s the loss of wildlife and insect habitat, it’s the increase in air and noise pollution.

Greenery is not just lovely to look at, it’s essential for the survival of humanity.

I wouldn't go for Leylandii - and I currently have it as a hedge.

It makes a decent privacy screen but is a bugger to look after. It won't re-shoot from the old wood so if you miss one pruning season then you're stuck with the extra width. It also sucks all of the nutrients out of the soil so it's very difficult to find anything else to grow near it.

If you want an evergreen hedge that grows at a decent rate then go for thuja plicata (western red cedar). Grows quickly 40-60cm per year but not as madly as leylandii does. It also naturally tends towards a conical shape so maintaining the sides of the hedge is easier. It re-shoots from old wood so you can hard prune it if needed and it smells a bit fruity when you brush past it. Hedges Direct and Best 4 Hedging both stock it and have regular offers on.

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!

How true. I have a friend whose neighbour over the back has done the same, so the squealing children on the trampoline are nearer her house, which has a smaller garden, than their own.

www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Roar-Lion-Manure-Repellant/dp/B0002B7OT2?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

OP, I think the view is far worse for the occupiers of the house overlooking your garden, which looks really messy.

This ^ Your neighbours are probably wondering if you're unreasonable for having such an untidy garden.

What happened to your garden, OP? It looks like Smyths Toys and the kids section of the Argos catalogue got into a small war back there. I guess having the neighbours being able to stare right at it will be a good incentive to keep your lovely mature garden in a better condition?

Bookworm4

The mentioning of council estate is very snobbish, if I was him I'd have kept the trees to avoid looking at your shit tip of a garden
Yes my kids are free to play in the garden as freely and with as much chaos and mess as they choose - then at the end of the day we clean it up. Unfortunately at the end of the day we cannot grow the trees back.
As for the ugly house - I suppose I’m just feeling bitter - it IS ugly compared to the trees. Not because it’s council, because it’s not trees!
I have had some fantastic suggestions from you all and feel better - I research you ideas and will find a tall and natural way to screen.
Not coming back on thread but thanks so much for suggestions.

Where on earth do you live that you think that is an ugly house!! It's absolutely fine! Not so fussed about the toys all over the garden but why are there shoes and clothes discarded!!?

OMG! A view of a council estate.
Qu'elle fromage. shock

😂

Personally I feel sorry for the neighbour's having that eyesore for a garden to look at.