To plant my entire garden with these?

[DandelionWars]

Name changed in case my neighbour is on here - I don't want her going through my posting history and even by making changes to the story it is still so (imo) batshit crazy that neighbour will recognise herself.

For context, before I moved into my house an anti-social behaviour report was filed against me. There was no-one in my house. It was empty bar the flooring person who was working between the hours of 2pm and 4pm, two weeks day in a row with no electricty, so I highly doubt he behaved in an unsocial manner. Parking is tight around here so it is entirely plausible that he pissed someone off by parking in 'their' space.

The day I moved in my neighbour knocked on my door to ask if I could stop my child playing outside after 7pm because her kids go to bed at 7. I was abit but complied much to dd's dismay who was playing quietly alone in the garden at the time of the complaint. A complaint was then made to my LL about DD playing out 'at all hours'.

A few months later DD got a thing that made noise during the day. the neighbour knocked to complain. I apologised. I moved the thing away from the party wall. The LL arrives on my doorstep a week later to ask about the thing and let me know a complaint has been made. I showed the LL the thing, discussed the noise and the previous agreement with the neighbour to move the thing and the steps I was taking to ensure the thing did not make noise on an evening. The LL was satisfied and agreed the thing was not an issue.

Various other niggly complaints were made but nothing was reported to the LL until the dandelion war started.

There are daffodils in my garden, the neighbour thinks they're dandelions (they're not dandelions or daffodils but I'm changing details on the off chance the neighbour doesn't believe she is only the person batshit crazy enough to care about dandelions) because she thinks they're ugly. They've been there since we moved in.

The neighbour asked me if she could remove all of the daffodils. I agreed even though we like the daffodils. She did not remove them but continued to complain about them. I got a bit fed up and removed half of the daffodils and cut the rest right down. DD was upset because she really likes the daffodils. She picks them and takes them to her dad's every year and they make things with them.

A week after removing half of the daffodils the LL calls about the 'condition' of the garden. I talked about the daffodils the LL agrees if that is the only issue I can keep the daffodils but there are now three complaints on file about me so he wants me to be aware I am being monitored and will need to have extra inspections.

So, now I am pissed and fed up of agreeing to the neighbour's petty and frankly batshit complaints and have decided to plant an entire forest of daffodils all over my lawn (LL said it's fine as long as daffodils are kept tidy and maintained).

AIBU?

NB - all over the lawn might be overkill. I'll probably just replace the ones I culled to pacify the neighbour and maybe plant one or two more.

[NewAccountForCorona]

I don't care about the plants but I want to know what the thing that is making the noise it.

Because if it's a vuvuzela or a set of drums, then I'm on neighbour's side

Otherwise, carry on.

[NewAccountForCorona]

And I completely missed an entire page . I like budgies, and raspberries, though I have seen raspberry canes that are absolutely vicious, so if they are going into her garden I have a teeny tiny smidgeon of sympathy.

[Dougalthesyrianhamster]

Ah cross post. Silly woman! Just ignore

[Aridane]

Budgie

[Aridane]

And NN if you're reading this, your kids love the raspberries as much as DD does. I've seen them sticking their hands through the fence and stuffing their faces with them. Just buy a screen for your side of the fence and stop acting like a nutter.

OR, you know, just speak with her

[Sorka]

I like @DoctorHildegardLanstrom’s gnome idea. Create a gnome colony on your front lawn. Try and find some gnomes holding raspberries.

[Winterlife]

Raspberries are very invasive. If you have a gardener, ask him to put something in place so they don’t grow on the neighbour’s side of the fence.

Our raspberry bushes did grow into the neighbour’s yard, but it was on the side of thr house, he loves gardening, and was happy having them. His ground cover invaded on our side. Also fine with that.

[jackdawdawn]

I would turn the tables on her by reporting her to children's services, not out of malice but because she sounds quite ill. If she has young kids, someone must intervene. Is there a husband? Family? Complaining about the flowers in someone's garden is really quite deranged. I must confess to laughing as I read your post, as it reminded me of the sort of sketch the League of Gentlemen used to do, but I then realised that this was a real person, with small kids. Speak to someone, her batty behaviour might be a kind of 'cry for help' as they say.

[Tia48]

Gosh she really does sound like she’s not well. She’s not given you much chance to get to know her either so it’s not like you can pop over and see if she’s okay!

I’m not trying to defend her at all but I try and see things from both sides so do you think this lockdown is making her more “crazy” sorry hate using this word But can’t think of alternative now!

Lockdown is difficult I’m finding it harder to sleep and quite honestly my neighbours here didn’t annoy me before but now every sound they make it just grates on me! I find myself getting angry every time I hear them being inconsiderate. The pre-lockdown days I wouldn’t have cared.

[1forAll74]

Did you say you had a budgie? they are not song birds, maybe it's a canary, as they sing and whistle. But you don't leave either bird out all night. But did you mean a real bird, or a toy bird that makes a noise.
It's been a funny kind of post, but quite enjoyed the visit to your garden.

[SofiaAmes]

jackdawdawn I'm sure you meant that as a joke, but as someone who has had children's services called on me as a retaliation for making a complaint to a hospital about a social worker, I really think it's not a funny joke. The next door neighbor does sound like a PITA, but that doesn't make her an unfit parent and it's not a good idea to waste already stretched thin services.
I second the posters who suggested telling the bully that you will not allow her to harass you anymore and that you will be making a report to the police.
And perhaps you might just want to spend the money to put up your own screen.

[TheSandman]

Wait? Your neighbour can't tell the difference between Raspberries and Blackberries?

[CSIblonde]

If she bothers you again tell her youre logging every incident as its harrassment. If your garden is maintained as per tenancy's contractual requirwments, it's none of her damn business.

[roombadoyourthing]

I had budgies growing up. They do talk and tweet and chirp to themselves a fair bit but no way could that be heard through a wall. They're not that loud.

Raspberry bushes are nice. Tell your landlord you're putting in a complaint about her as others have said she is harassing you. And let your dd out to play. If she comes round to complain tell her she's harassing you and you've put in a formal complaint for harassment.

[fuckinghellthisshit]

You are entitled to quiet enjoyment of your own home. Smile and remind her that all complaints must be lodged with EVH and recorded in a file which will be available to any prospective buyers in the future. If she owns the home she is devaluing her property and needs reminding.

[BarbaraofSeville]

The time to have stopped engaging with the mad neighbour was when she started trying to dictate what sort of flowers you had in your garden.

That's no business of hers, if she doesn't like them, she can stop looking at them and I can't believe you actually removed them because she asked you to.

If she rents, complain to her landlord about the harrassment/restriction of quiet enjoyment if she won't leave you alone.

[steppemum]

this is harassment.

You really, really need to make a list of all her ridiculous complaints.
Then you need to get your landlord on side, really agree with pp about mentioning the difficulty of living next door to nightmare neighbour.

She cannot complain about normal family noise at normal hours. Your dd is entirely allowed to play in the garden, and to have a budgie without her complaining (assuming the budgie doesn't wake the street up at 4 am)
You are entirely allowed to grow what you like in yoru garden, including blackberries if you so choose.

You need to push back a bit, and then firmly say - we are allowed under law to enjpy our own house, as we like. You need ot stop complaining or we will take legal action

I am always on the side of keeping the peace, but at some point you can send her a letter of cease and desist or whatever it is called.

[MitziK]

Thornless Blackberries are great.

Right up til the point they send out bastarding suckers that seem to want to overcompensate for the lack of thorns elsewhere on the plant. Very invasive, too.

Blueberries need to be in a pot with Ericaeous (acidic) compost. They're fine, then.

Unless it's chirping the intro to Peppa Pig (and even then, Starlings and Corvids are very good mimics), the noisy bird could easily be something outside and nothing to do with you at all.


As the landlord is fine with you adding plants, I'd suggest trying again with the Sloes and maybe introducing Gooseberries on the fence border. A truly evil person would chuck a packet of mint seeds over the fence, as they are extremely invasive and have the regenerative powers of hydra's teeth, so I wouldn't ever suggest you did that.

[Nearlyalmost50]

I actually could hear my neighbour's budgie very faintly cheeping through our paper thin walls, but I didn't go round and complain about it as I am a normal person and it didn't bother me anyway.

[GlamGiraffe]

I'd start reporting ndn for harassment personally.
A budgie is a perfectly allowable, ordinary pet. If your garden is tidy and well looked after, what you plant in it is your business, and if its not causing a disturbance your daughter can be quietly outside until 4am if it suits you.
Keep a record and report your neighbour.
Why should you face problems because your ndn is unhinged.

[NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite]

I used to have budgies. They can be noisy sometimes but can also sing beautifully. I'd just move it away from the party wall to the other side of the room. Cover the cage with a cloth at night.

Having looked at raspberry bushes I can see why your ndn might get them mixed up. Do you have just a wire fence or wooden palings between your gardens? In any event, I would just tell her they are raspberry canes and are staying and just prevent them from growing through into ndn's garden.

Any chance of LL erecting more appropriate fencing? I bet he's had problems with them before.

[SurfnTerfFantasticmissfoxy]

Your neighbor is insane. Pandering to the demands of the insane only serves to reinforce that they are in the right and justifies them continuing. Any and all requests must be met with a 'no, I won't be doing that / changing that' firm but polite. If they persist tell them their behavior is harassment and if it continues you will be taking legal advice.

[SurfnTerfFantasticmissfoxy]

And I still can't believe she complained about a budgie - possibly the least offensive pet a neighbour could possibly have. It's hardly a fucking T. rex is it, which just serves to highlight her lunacy

[recklessruby]

OP you do know that budgies are sociable birds? So maybe your one needs a friend to chatter with?
and maybe the cages could go against the party wall ---- you have my sympathy. Neighbours like that are 100% more irritating in lockdown.

[acatcalledjohn]

I would tell your LL in no uncertain terms that if he doesn't manage these petty complaints without involving you you'll be going to the police to report this continuous harassment. He's basically now complicit in affecting your right to quiet enjoyment of the property.

If that doesn't work then follow up on your word and report the neighbour to the police for harassment. I'm sure your LL would love having an official neighbour dispute linked to his property.