Bloody tree hating neighbours

[Gettingbysomehow]

What's wrong with people? I live in a rural town where grass is replaced with gravel in almost every garden. There are hardly any trees and new estates are being slapped over every bit of spare land.
I believe that no matter how small your garden you should have a tree and a pond for wildlife. I have a flagpole cherry and a big tree that grows up like a pencil so goes up not out and I've put a nice wildlife pond in. None of these things impact the neighbours sun in any way and the autumn leaves only fall in my garden. No over hanging branches at all due to the trees upright habit.
God the moaning.....when are you going to cut those trees down. Get some fake grass, your pond solar fountain is too noisy ad nauseum. Then I got home to find my bird feeders had been thrown into the pond.
What have people got against nature!!!!
The offending neighbour has wall to wall fake grass, no water features and no other plants. Said he can't stand trees. Always has his stinking barbecue on and his dogs bark 24/7..

Fake grass should be banned and I really judge people who have it (and are unable to replace it if they rent).

Maybe judge the LL's who are able to replace it rather than the tenants who are unable to replace it

Ummm … I clearly say I’m not judging the tenants.

@OhYetAnotherBrickInTheWall I think you've missed a word out in what you said

Fake grass should be banned and I really judge people who have it (and are unable to replace it if they rent).

Because that says you judge people who have fake grass and judge them for renting and not being able to replace it. Or at least that's how I read it?

Only if their drainage is nonexistent or inadequate.

Without the wildlife, you wouldn't have a garden. Some people should just live in flats.

I hate ponds with a passion

What do people with artificial grass do in heatwaves when inside is too hot?

The best thing about our tiny, postage-stamp garden is that, when the heat gets really oppressive, we can hose down the grass or empty the paddling-pool onto it and sit and enjoy the wet coolness in the shade with our feet in the mud. The 5yo likes to cool down by making muddy puddles and rolling in them. I know people survive without gardens and indeed we're lucky to have one as it's by no means the norm round here, but I don't get why if you have one, you'd turn it into a hot plastic sterile space.

Theres a huge 100+ year old copper beech behind my house, it sheds its leaves every year. I spend ages sweeping the damned things out of my way. I assume its the council's responsibility. I won't be writing a letter of complaint, it's a lovely thing.

Good on you op. I can’t stand the sterile grey nightmare of my neighbours. It’s soul destroying looking out grey grey grey, those grey blocky chairs everyone has and fairy lights. It’s like being in the sims.

I get everyone has different priorities but to throw your bird feeders about is not on, that’s just cheeky. Lock your gate!!

To be honest, I’m not a fan either, although I’d not say I hated them with a passion.

ive seldom seen one that looks decent, and I’ve seen them from small to several feet wide. They always look a bit twee , out of place and artificial. Especially with the little dribbling water features.

people are always so proud of them though, do you want to see the pond kind of thing. Um no, not really.

We have a water feature with a solar pump so it doesn't run all night. Part of the reason we got it was to try and provide some white noise against the endless parties one side have and the screeching and football/basketball/table tennis/barking dog from the other side. That side also recently installed corner bifolds and now whenever the weather is semi OK we get treated to hearing their lives from about 7am to 11pm as the doors are wide open and they don't appear to recognise this means we can hear everything. The other night they were having a movie night with thundering base broadcast to all.

On the plus side both sides do have grass and trees etc.

Goodness, how loud is the solar pump?

I agree. There’s something particularly selfish and awful about buying a house with a garden and ripping it all out and building/paving over it when so many people would love a garden but don’t have one. Why not look for a house that already has no garden, rather than ruining another one?

YABU being so prescriptive with the “no matter how small your garden you should have a tree and a pond for wildlife” . But the tree hating, nature hating, bird feeder destroying neighbour is being way more unreasonable. And the posts on here agreeing with them make me so sad.

We have a Stella Cherry Tree - it's a self-fertile edible variety with white blossom. We prune our tree to keep it compact & within our garden, & this year it had loads of cherries... but we didn't get one! All eaten by the birds before they were ripe.
I love it, but don't expect to get any fruit!
Our tree was about a metre high when we bought it; that was 11th arts ago & now looks like this.

11 years ago!

Entirely paved gardens are completely soulless. I hope you’re teaching your children about nature in other ways.

I agree with you OP. Absolutely - I have two ponds and about 70+ trees.

😂 not loud enough! I probably need a water feature more akin to Niagara to compete. Despite my post I like both my neighbours and recognise they are just enjoying their gardens as is their right, it's just been a long week of noise!

Daffidale
But the tree hating, nature hating, bird feeder destroying neighbour is being way more unreasonable. And the posts on here agreeing with them make me so sad.

I agree, Daffidale (love your user name!).

For goodness sake - people need to put their dislike of insects in perspective. We need them, like them or not. I happen to like them, expecially bees, butterflies, beetles and dragonflies - all stunningly beautiful wonders of nature.

Very few insects which visit your garden (I'm not talking about Death Watch Beetle, clothes moths or woodworm!) will do 99.999% of us any harm at all. We are lucky here, I know - in Australia you might be excused for being wary.

This week there was a terrifying report from (was it) the UN about the prospects for the human race on this planet if we don't all wake up from our self-obsessed and unsustainable attitudes to the natural world. I cannot believe this doesn't shock people into action - but apparently not. It's so unutterably depressing. We have SO been warned, and it's the tipping point - nearly too late.

Question to those agreeing with nature-haters: does your dislike or fear of insects or leaves really trump the prospect of global disaster?

Can't understand the bird hating here. We have bird feeders outside each bedroom window, and waking up to birdsong is joyful.

With carefully chosen feeders and food, there is no problem with rats.

We only have the water feature on when we are in the garden and only on for 30mins at a time. I want my
neighbours to be able to enjoy their garden without needing the loo the whole time!

Are you seriously saying that you'd be so enraged by a solar fountain that you would vandalise it? Y op u sound UNHINGED.

And your views on nature are just sad.

We're all entitled to make reasonable noise in our gardens, then that includes socialising, chatting, quiet music, kids playing, pond pumps/waterfall, wind chimes...

I'd much rather hear running water than drunken shrieking or annoying music or kids yelling

Wow what a soul destroying thread. Although given nearly everyone in my neighbourhood has a paved over soulless eyesore as a garden I shouldn’t be surprised.

Cannot believe how many people actively discourage insects and birds! It’s been years since I’ve seen a hedgehog. And why not a pond - you can literally have a little bucket with some aquatic plants in it and frogs will come, absolutely fine for toddlers.

Am seriously considering becoming a hermit bird lady, people SUCK.

😂😂😂 What do you suggest in a garden?

We've had bird feeders up for 20 years. Never ever had rats.