To think people can make more of an effort with their gardens

[Lovelybitofsquirrel3]

Due to circumstances changing I moved from the family home (owned, not by me, by family) to a council estate a few years ago.
Generally people don’t bother to plant anything/haven’t bothered with their gardens. There are hardly any bees, butterflies or insects that visit and I’m finding it depressing. A lot of people haven’t bothered with their gardens.
I planted potatoes last year which were never pollinated, and one or two bees visited, I don’t know where from and they died quickly.
I’m not looking for excuses as to why people don’t plant but surely it’s simple to buy a few packets of seeds and turn over some turf.

Yes, the idea of wildflowers has been fashionable for the last couple of years, but a pretty wildflower lawn requires a big time commitment to keep it looking that way. And like you have discovered, lots of "wildflowers" are what a lot of people call weeds!

What gardening have you done op? Apart from your dead potato plants that is. Which btw don't need pollination, as a pp said. Look after your own garden maybe before worrying about other people's.

Retired people have more time to do their gardens
Shockers

It's not as easy as you make out.

Was it necessary to get 'council estate" in there? Anyway, not easy for everyone or possibly in terms of both time and money.

If bees are coming into your garden and dying then it sounds like your garden isn't very bee friendly!

I can't imagine having outdoor space and not having plenty of plants. But some people are not interested in it visually, and CBA to do the work or learn how to garden. Or spend money.
It's a shame but it's a hobby/lifestyle choice to have plants and it's just not for everyone.
It's a real shame and I'm glad we have a communal garden and our own small patio garden. My neighbours just have a bare yard. Their cat is so bored!

OP, I ducking hate gardening. I have several SEN kids, and my own conditions. I’m working where I can, in between educating the ones that can’t attend school, and you know, just keeping everyone fed and clean.

My garden is a shit tip. It will remain that way, I don’t need to justify that. It also doesn’t matter.

I agree OP! I think it comes down to priorities really.
I have a 2yo and work FT, but feel strongly about supporting our ecosystem in an era of paved drives and plastic turf. If we lose our bugs, we are all fucked!

I also have very little time, a few years ago we tore up the paving slabs, laid turf and built some plant beds. I have been adding perennial plants and evergreen herbs/shrubs and planting more of what survives with the level of commitment I can provide. So even though I can’t spend loads of time in the garden, it does the job I need it to. Managed to get a great crop of tomatoes last year by grabbing the seedlings half price and just putting them in the ground!

I moved into a new build council house with my dc (single parent) when I was in my 30's. I worked full time, took dc to after school activities, cooked, cleaned, etc and still managed to transform a huge back garden from scrub ground with builders rubble buried in it to a lovely garden with a big lawn, flower beds, window boxes and trellis for climbing roses. It didn't stop children playing in the garden or cost much and I was extremely proud of it, my favourite part was the crocus planted randomly in the front tiny lawn and how quickly they multiplied. I lived there for four years and it looked great when I left, I visited neighbours two years later and the garden was still blooming so I was delighted to see it. It can be done on very little money but does require an interest in doing it.

I looked after a garden when I was young as well as now I'm middle aged. If you plant properly it doesn't need lots of maintenance. My buddiea shrub gets cut back once a year and has loads of flowers on in the summer. It's covered in butterflies. We have two small patches of grass which we strim and each patch takes 15 minutes. I have electric edgers for quickness too.

I love gardening and have a medium sized garden. Grow all sorts of vegetables and flowers and even so it looks a mess a lot of the time. Just enjoy your garden for you

Seagulls can't be on the decline. They don't exist.

I'd worry about many many other bird species like curlews and snipe before I would worry about gulls.

I did vote YABU at first, because the people on council estates are likely making very tough choices about how to cut £5 out of the food budget because their child has already outgrown the school shoes they bought in September, or that the recent cold snap has completely fucked their heating bill and now they are in arrears and panicking over bus fare or energy bill. So seeds, turf, gardening tools are a luxury that isn’t even in reach,

However, upon reflection, I changed to YANBU because I think everyone benefits from being able to garden, have a nice space outdoors, and it does improve a neighbourhood alot to have green and flowers in it.

So, you have noticed something your community needs! Would you want to see if you can get a few neighbours together and find a way to set up a community gardening group that will try and source plants, share plants and help neighbours plant gardens? Run free gardening activities for local children where they go home with a plant and instructions on how to care for it and put it in the ground? Are there allotments in your town or a garden centre where people may be willing to donate seeds or plants or basic tools/gloves? A group that can lend each other the more expensive gardening tools? A group that can gather seeds from their gardens and start off plants that can then colonise other gardens in the neighbourhood?

I kind of agree, but i do much prefer a wild, overgrown garden to some low maintenance artificial grass monstrosity. At least a messy wild garden is good for various kinds of wildlife, even if it doesn't look pretty.

When we moved here 30 years ago, everyone had lovely gardens filled with shrubs and trees. Over the last 10 years, most of the houses have been bought up and renovated and the gardens have been ripped out and paved over. Everything is completely sterile. There's only a few houses on the street that have a garden with plants in. Ours is filled with trees, we feed the birds but it's still noticeable that the area only seems to have about 50% of the species it had before. We never see woodpeckers, nuthatches or treecreepers any more for a start. There's hardly any butterflies by comparison with 15 or 20 years ago.

Most people here seem to think it's unimportant and claim that they don't have time for gardening It never seems to occur to them that their kids will grow up deprived of seeing birds, insects and animals that were once numerous.

It's just really sad that nobody takes pride in their environment any more, they think they have more important things to do. They all claim to care about climate change but at the same time they're ripping out trees and plants and paving their gardens. It's madness.

I like calling them seagulls and shall continue to do so thanks.

Missing the point because presumably when you were younger it was when people did have more time because that was the case

Prepping the space can take time, and solid periods because leave a few weeks and weeds overtake again. Finding time then to plant. To maintain. It can be extremely time consuming actually.

If you want bees in your garden, plant lavender. My garden is full of bees all summer because of it.

Maybe they should prioritize the planet over their own personal concerns.

@Lovelybitofsquirrel3 possibly due to cost. I garden. It will be on my epitaph.

Shears, mowers, secateurs, brooms, jetwashing, hoes, spades, forks, rakes, small tools, bug spray, plant food, gardening gloves, brown bin rental, watering cans, hoses, sprinklers.

Notwithstanding bedding plants, replacing shrubs, topsoil, bulbs, etc.

Understanding what grows on acid or alkaline soil, what tolerates slugs, shade, what is poisonous to pets, etc.

Trees that need pollarding, tall shrubs and hedges that need professionals in to trim them.

All of the above does not include the bloody weeding.

DH and I were brought up gardening and have an innate interest. It's a lot to learn.

A fiver on a dozen marigolds and three delphiniums for eight quid from the market must be heartbreaking when £13 quid is hard to find and they all get eaten by slugs, as they do.

@Asvoria I was a single mum with 3 kids in a godawful area (for multiple reasons) that’s just where we ended up after a really horrible time and I had no control over it.The area was as described by the OP, and so depressing. Me and my kids walked past one garden every morning that was beautiful and blooming and honestly was often the only bright spot in my day. Please know that there will be some locals who feel the same about yours x

Im in a much better position now, and an avid gardener, I love it but it’s not hard to understand that many people don’t have the time, money, inclination or personal physical/mental health to plant and maintain a garden. It’s a luxury in many ways. I do wish we had some sort of incentives for people to connect more with nature and be more mindful of the environment, it would be hugely beneficial for mental health and a good form of exercise. We’re not built to live as we do surrounded by concrete and no greenery or wildlife but it’s the way things seem to be, which is sad but seemingly inescapable.

I'm 55, it wasn't that long ago. I was also working shifts and had two ND kids to juggle as well as housework, shopping etc.

I was hoping this thread would encourage people to start planting

✨🌟⭐💫 I don't want to 💫⭐🌟✨