We went him a short note asking if we could prune the branches overhanging our garden. They are almost covering a third of our garden and prevent us from getting any sunlight after about 2pm. We wanted to speak to him face to face but he never answers the door.
So the typwritten letter goes:
Dear Mr and Mrs Starlight,
Thank you for your note, & you are of course very welcome to do whatever you wish as regards the overhanging branches into your garden. :-At least, you've had the good manners to ask :-your predecessor used to just 'butcher' the trees &bushes without so much as a 'by your leave'! That's the 'Building Trade', though, for you, isn't it? They don't care about Wildlife or Plants :-They're only happy if they've managed to cover the entire planet in Bricks & Mortar!
Do be careful though, as I believe there's a pair of Magpies nesting in that tree, and we don't want to upset them, do we?
The Lilac bushes should flower in a few weeks time, and you are very welcome to pick as many flowers as you wish:- Th Bushes only flower for about a fortnight once a year, but they do look nice around the house whilst they last. If you want any cuttings of anything, you're very welcome also:- It's not your fault that you've inherited a garden that looks like something out of a 'Garden Centre'. Once it starts to grow a bit, you should get some of the Wildlife and Wild Flowers that I get in mine. Also, as your youngster grows up, I'm sure he would appreciate some lawn also:- My lawn used to make a fabulous Football Pitch/Tennis Courts etc when I was your son's age (many moons ago!) although it may be a bit difficult to see it now that it's covered in 'Forget-Me-Nots', 'Bluebells' & 'Ground Ivy', but such is life!
I've got some Grass Seed & a book that explains how to lay a lawn, if you're interested:- Our Neighbours on the other side owe their lawn to my late father providing the seed and showing them what to do, so I'll try to carry on the 'Family Tradition' should you so wish! (Not that I'm particularly interested in gardening, in case you hadn't noticed!!)
Anyway, that's enough ramblingfrom me:- Good luck with the 'Pruning' & take care!
Kind regards & Best wishes,
XXX