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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:
Cobblersandhogwash · 20/04/2019 20:58

Your garden looks like your children have loads of fun in it.

I'm sure you don't tidy it up until the end of the day.

What would be the point of tidying it up every hour? Unless you are anal.

beanaseireann · 20/04/2019 21:55

Anyone got an idea for fox deterrent ?

SE13Mummy · 20/04/2019 22:13

We've found passion flower to be a quick-growing climber, evergreen and gives excellent coverage with minimal effort. The one I planted up against a boring fence panel in the front garden (north facing) looks lovely when it flowers and softens the fence panel for the rest of the year. If the fence at the rear isn't yours, it might be sensible to put up some trellis panels just inside your boundary so the passion flower plants are supported by something owned by you, rather than by your neighbour.

princessTiasmum · 20/04/2019 22:43

I have trees all around my garden and love them, but i recently had one cut down a few feet, but also did the people have permission to cut them down, the council dont always allow it if the trees have always been there and maybe even before those houses were built as they look fairly new,

Andanotherthingg · 20/04/2019 23:08

Lol!!!

They aren't even the same gardens GrinGrin

Andanotherthingg · 20/04/2019 23:13

Like.. actually aren't..
Why would you do that?? Lol... Grin

Anyone else see it?? Grin

CupcakeDrama · 20/04/2019 23:32

Its definitely the same garden in both pics. Look at the concrete path bit by the trampoline its in both pics

Sarcelle · 20/04/2019 23:43

Your garden is full of shite. I am not sure where you get off thinking that your view of their house is any better than your garden. I think that got the shitty end of the stick.

ilikebeckerinmyoldage · 21/04/2019 01:32

Yes my kids are free to play in the garden as freely and with as much chaos and mess as they choose

There's a shoe lying in the middle 😂😂

Ellapaella · 21/04/2019 08:16

Please don't plant leylandi. They are a total nightmare - they grow absolutely massive and have to be trimmed and cut back regularly at much expense. Our neighbours had one and it killed the soil in our garden where it over-hung, it seeps acid into the soil and ruins everything around it. The grass on our lawn underneath it died and we couldn't grow anything within a few meters of it.
I've never been so relieved when they finally got rid of the monstrosity - it was our neighbours tree but we spent a small fortune on having to maintain it on our side of the garden.

beanaseireann · 21/04/2019 08:55

I can't see the garden shed in the first picture.
Is it really the same garden?

Badtasteflump · 21/04/2019 09:45

I did notice you can see the sky through the trees in the first pic then in the second there’s a row of terraced houses, but maybe the angles are different. It does look like a completely different garden, but I assumed it must be the same and that’s the whole point.

CupcakeDrama · 21/04/2019 10:34

The shed is in the first pic its just been moved. one pic looks like its taken from the garden maybe the other one is taken from the upstairs window. Its 100% the same garden

wigglypiggly · 21/04/2019 14:27

We have blackbirds and wood pigeons nesting in our leylandii, just put up some trellis and bamboo paint the shed a cheery colour and put some coloured glazed pots out there with flowers in.

wigglypiggly · 21/04/2019 14:32

I'd move the trampoline and ball hoop nearer to your own house, you can buy curved netting to fix on top of a fence to deter cats. Could you speak to your neighbour and tell him about the cat poo. Say its unpleasant and unhygienic for your children and spray them with a water pistol if you see them pooping. The cats not the children!

CorlysVelaryon · 21/04/2019 14:40

"and spray them with a water pistol if you see them pooping."

With Ribena in it.

Sugarformyhoney · 21/04/2019 14:43

Poor you having to look at his council house after it being hidden by trees. So rude of him to actually want to enjoy his garden too.

Yerroblemom1923 · 21/04/2019 17:55

You've lost me....what is the "eyesore" you're now having to view??? The garden of plastic sh*t? Maybe just tell them to have a tidy up now and again?
Then a pp said the garden of plastic sht is yours...so......?! What's the problem exactly?! Plastic sht filled garden vs council house.....who wins? There's only one way to find out.....

beanaseireann · 21/04/2019 20:43

Corlysvelaryon

beanaseireann · 21/04/2019 20:43

OopsBlush
Why put Ribena in the spray ?

CorlysVelaryon · 21/04/2019 22:52

It makes them all sticky and they hate it, as do the owners. I've never done it but I hear it's a very effective deterrent.

Shadowboy · 23/04/2019 13:13

To be fair to the OP council houses were built for practicality not for looks- they are generally not very attractive buildings! It’s not like a lovely Black and white thatched cottage which would be quaint to look at. I would plant some photinia or cotoneaster- both are evergreen and easy to maintain- bees love cotoneaster too so good for the environment.

For those slating your garden- it’s evident it was just played in and the second picture reveals it’s usually tidy.
Both those I have have mentioned won’t get overly big but will give you the privacy and the greenery needed all year round.

SoupDragon · 23/04/2019 13:16

It’s not like a lovely Black and white thatched cottage which would be quaint to look at

I wonder if the OP's house is acceptable to look at given the rear neighbour can now see it along with natural daylight.

Halo84 · 06/05/2019 00:55

Swedish aspen grow quickly. The only negative is they have shallow roots, and have a shorter life span than many trees.

Skiingismylife · 06/05/2019 00:59

Oooh here we go