FIL has messed up my front garden … AIBU?

[Rosieposey91]

FIL offered to do our front garden in our new house for us. Originally I wasn’t keen on the idea as he didn’t put my son’s bedroom furniture together very well. However with the cost of living it meant to have what we really wanted would take a good couple years to afford. I agreed to him doing some pebbles and fake plants etc and already started off on the wrong foot as he went against my wish for big pebbles and got smaller ‘tacky’ looking ones. He then let us pay for the paint as we wanted a darker grey colour despite saying it was all his treat. That’s not an issue but also has asked me to order the fake plants etc so isn’t ‘really’ treating us to it. Bearing in mind these things aren’t that expensive … then today he puts in some slabs that 1) don’t match our other slabs 2) weren’t what we agreed , we agreed concrete not slabs 3) are much larger than the slabs we have so look completely odd.

it was so awkward as my husband wasn’t here, so I just agreed that it would look ok when painted but inside I was thinking this looks so cheap and tacky and rushed.

I’ve told my partner and thankfully he fully agrees it looks rubbish.

now I’m stuck as to what to do, ask him to take the slabs up and let him carry on or just wait and save and get it done exactly how we want it. All along we have said no to him doing it and he kept insisting , I didn’t let the MIL be involved as last time she was stood on MY drive saying this will go here and we will have that there etc … they completely baby my husband but I won’t have them baby me, I’ve always been independent and my parents have let me have my own mind etc.

AIBU?

Oh dear

They're shite? Are they actual living plants?

Is that photo what he did or from a brochure of what you'd like? I think your design sounds nice. I'd prefer slabs to concrete, though. And I like it when things don't match. It makes then look organic.
Hmmm. Send your FIL to mine. I've got tons of jobs for him to do and I've very low standards when things are free. 😄

I don’t even have a garden, so no commentary on your choice of plants from me! BUT, I have to point out the irony of you apparently not letting your PIL baby you….and then coming on here to ask what to do because you can’t say “thanks but no thanks” to your FIL 😆

Do the bloody thing yourself. You're not taking about gardening, it's just lifting and shifting various grey things, no skill required.

Nasty comments.

op, you need to get your DH to explain that it isn’t what you had in mind. It’s awkward but FIL us in the wrong here

This is so bad for the environment. Makes me sad 😞 plenty of low maintenance plants that would be better for pollinators and cheaper than what you’ve used. No wonder British wildlife is fucked. 😢

Yep, first comment is exactly my response too!

I had just had a baby and also have a heart condition so can’t do it myself and my partner is not a DIY man. So he offered to help as family do but unfortunately it wasn’t done correctly and we had to pay someone to do it anyway.

so far not a single helpful comment apart from a couple agreeing how bitchy the comments are. It must make them feel good knowing they have real plants and trying to make others feel cr*p for their choice. I’m sure their homes are all beautiful too and their personalities!

i hate to pile on about the plastic plants, they leech micro plastics into the water system.

I get the look you were going for and real topiary ones would have looked lovely.

British wildlife is f*cked because of a couple topiary balls. People have got to be on the wind up 🤣🤣

Fake topiary balls are awful though !

Exactly. " be kind" is utter nonsense

Also yes I have astro turf in my back garden and it’s lurvvvvley. Bring on the hate lol 😝

So nothing new there, then.

I'll take pity on you OP. You're getting a hard time.

Thank FIL for his efforts and then once he's left, spend the weekend tweaking what his done so that its more in line with what you had in mind. He probably won't even notice, especially if you add to what he did.

I've just spent £400 on fake plants. I have a large house with large planters at first floor level on a north facing aspect in a hard to reach area. They have their place. I also have fake trees in the house . Practically all plants you see in window boxes, planters etc in high end commercial premises are fake.

Oh hang on, now you've gone too far.

As you were MN witches..

Astro turf? Jeesh

Grey paint, concrete slabs and fake plants... He didn't fuck up anything, you did.

OMG OP, Mumsnet is not the place to discuss fake topiary balls and the like.
You were brave to mention the Astroturf in your back garden, too.

Surely this thread is a wind-up? Nobody on MN likes things like this.

our gardens make up a huge chunk of habitat for wildlife. So it does all add up. It’s all part of a big jigsaw puzzle that interconnects and if a few of the blocks are missing it fragments wildlife which causes issues.

then add the micro plastic and flooding issues and it again, all adds up. Plus you cannot easily recycle it.

your fil should have done what you asked though.

And a baby and a heart condition?
wow

Tacky!!!!!

Hi op,

Those plastic balls fade really badly. Real topiary balls are lovely, but you have to maintain them to a small size and shape which is tricky.

How about something like this with grasses. They add some movement and are very contemporary without putting micro plastics into the Earth. Blue fescue grasses are gorgeous. Or ponytail grass?

Practically all plants you see in window boxes, planters etc in high end commercial premises are fake.

Very likely. That doesn't make it all right though.