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[Elizabethrose]

I feel like weeping! My fairly new neighbours are 'doing' their garden. They are stripping out all of the healthy mature shrubs, taking down trees that have suddenly died since they've been there (?!) and now chopping down a beautiful healthy apple tree that looks more resplendent in its canopy of blossom than it ever has. I feel bereft! Blossom is cascading down into my garden.

They have young (free range) kids who play ball sports in the garden morning, noon and night and the parents who we were told were keen gardeners, are putting in fake grass. I can't quite get to grips with it, I thought my neighbour was joking when she told me, thank God for my poker face! It's not a postage stamp lawn our gardens are a decent size. The neighbours around are all waiting to see if a pitch marking machine turns up next!

The chaps are literally chain sawing down everything growing, it is heart breaking to see it. I would have thought that professional gardeners would dig up and reuse/replant perfectly healthy shrubs but I suppose that would take time and time is money! It's a crime!

I truly wonder what the 'design' will be but sadly don't feel confident that it's going to have too much plant life in it. As I've typed this the whole canopy on the right side of my garden has disappeared. When hubby left this morning you couldn't see through to other gardens.

Sorry for the moaning rant, such destruction is so upsetting though! x

[Elizabethrose]

Now a beautiful olive tree has gone as well  Such destruction!

[AstroCat]

I feel your pain Elizabethrose. It sounds devastating. In the house where I grew up there used to be an old oak tree. It was there since my dad was born but some of it came down back in the 80s after high winds and it became clear that it wasn't in such good shape. We had to get professionals in to take most of it down and I was so upset, even though in this case it was the right thing to do. If I recall, teenage me, in all my angst, even wrote a poem about it! 
Strangely, writing this has just reminded me that I dreamed about that house and tree last night...

[Elizabethrose]

When we moved into this house there were so many trees that you could barely see the surrounding houses. Gradually the older generation have moved on, younger people have moved in with their families and the first thing they seem to do is cut down the trees. Jeez we live in a city, our gardens and the parks are the lungs of London!! Ooh I'm so disappointed but also really confused and really mad if I'm honest. It's their house and garden to do with as they please of course but why oh why buy a house with a bigger garden only to rip it all out.

Cut down a healthy apple and olive and replace them with fake grass. Really??!

Sorry AstroCat, rant over! x

[CLKD]

I get SO ANGRY about this type of thing.  It is illegal to disturb nesting birds so contacting the Environment Agency, also they are not allowed to burn on site, it has to be taken away.

When the kids have got burns from the 'astro-turf' they may well regret it!  Apparently it's being banned in many football clubs because so many players have been injured!

[Elizabethrose]

You and me both CLKD. There were no nests, the birds would have to be as daft as a brush to nest in that garden, it looks like a war zone. The garden company have been shredding all day at the front of the house so there's no burning. I'd throw a massive hissy fit if they tried that one. Spoke to the previous owner who was very sad, the garden was her husband's passion. She said he'd be turning in his grave if he knew!

I've been racking my brains all day about what I can do on my side to compensate for the carnage and destruction of our view. I think I'm going to have to be creative, which will probably cost me! I'll wait to see what the end result is then get cracking. It may be that I'll plant some sort of pollarded trees.

The olive that was massacred with a chain saw would have cost a small fortune to buy. If I'd known what they were going to do I would have tried to find a way to transplant it here. We seem to live in a throwaway society. So many of my shrubs started off as cuttings from friends and likewise we've passed on lots too. Its a crying shame! x

[CLKD]

What did they have that sheltered your garden that has been torn out?  I expect that some trees would have had Preservation Orders on them pity you didn't slap some on!  Could you plant an English hedgerow initially which will grow up; hawthorn, spindle trees, privat - have a look on the RHS web-site for ideas?  [Buckingham Garden Centre is also a good guide, not many 'centres' grow their own these days  ]. 

We cleared a lot of weed from the bottom pond recently and can now see the frogs and tadpoles ! 

[Elizabethrose]

No they don't tend to do it with fruit trees CLKD, it's just the big beasts. We live in a conservation area and have a vary large tree at the back which has a preservation order on it but none of the smaller trees around do. I'm sure we could have made a fuss and reported them to planning but they'd have got permission in about 6 weeks so it would only have delayed it. It wouldn't have been worth the upset.

The apple was sitting on our boundary fence but on our side we only have climbers along the fence at that point which is the widest point of a large circular lawn, with beds in the four corners. I'm going to have to do some redesigning! Sadly my neighbour on the other side lost a pear in exactly the same position.

It's not the end of the world I'll get it sorted!

I think I've lost my agapanthus. They've succumbed to a cold spell when I didn't cover them in fleece in time. The bases became slimy and they haven't picked up. Spoke to the experts at Wisley about them. Shame, they were my pride and joy last year, utterly stunning. I think I might be able to save about 4 stems so I'll repot them and then plant up a new bunch in our massive new pot.

[bramble]

Have to say I am on the other side of the fence. When I moved in here almost 20 years ago there were quite a few trees in the garden. First the 4 huge comifers in the corner were taken down. Light into the garden improved dramatically. Then the group of slightly smaller ones got taken down when I built my greenhouse. The scabby apple tree went next when I got the garage built. The massive pear tree was the next one when I got the conservatory built - it was planted within 6 ft of the house! Then the silver birch had to be lopped in half as it was interfering with the telephone wires although it still is a good 30+ feet. I have planted a multi stemmed rowan and a cornus and a amelanchier but all smaller manageable trees. I've also planted a hedge. So not all bad news.
We cannot manage our gardens to suit our neighbours - they are ours to do with as we like - regardless of current opinion or other people's ideas. Quite often trees are planted in back gardens that are totally unsuitable for them. And when they grow too high they either cannot be bothered to address the problem or they cannot afford to. For every tree in a back garden that is cut down 'unnecessarily' there are probably a 1000 more that are causing major problems to neighbours and should be cut down but aren't.
Each to his own - we all plough our own furrows.

Bramble

[Elizabethrose]

Oh dear I feel suitably reprimanded Bramble.

However the trees were not causing any problems in any way, and they were healthy and stunning, I think they just want a football pitch. As I said, each to their own, it's their garden, their home to do with as they please. I haven't voiced my concerns or disappointment to them I've just got it off my chest on here.

[bramble]

I'm watching a tree planted next door right on the boundary. It went in as a stripling a few feet high and in less than 10 years it is now 20+ feet! In a garden roughly 15ft by 30ft!!  New people have moved in next door so I reckon it will be coming down this year! It is a nicely shaped tree and golden yellow/green but just in the wrong garden.

Bramble

[Elizabethrose]

These gardens were made for trees, they're about 110 ft long but the usual Victorian thin slice, with a width of about 35 ft. Most of the trees were planted at the ends so provided privacy. There was only one tree that caused a boundary root problem for a neighbour years ago. A walnut had self seeded and was far too close to the house. It was taken down.

I feel less sad about the next-door garden today as an acer has been left so something is visible. It is a deep burgundy and has a beautiful habit.

A couple of weeks ago I hard pruned an evergreen hypericum (can't remember which variety) which was looking very tired and ragged. It has sprung up beautifully and looks really lovely. There's always something to smile about with a garden.

No, sad again, the entire fence all 110 feet of it has been left bare of any foliage, not a thing peeking above apart from the acer. Hopefully that'll not go too. 

[CLKD]

Pity you couldn't dash round and rescue the plants  - local gardening club may well have found homes for them 

Without trees the Earth will die.  I would be making my point, the other point would be "If you children kick their balls into my patch and ruin my garden, who will be paying for any damage now that you have removed the screening?" ..........

I was going to type something else but it's leapt out of my brain    and it was really interesting 

[CLKD]

Lots of weeding done.
Plenty of sitting in the 
Cuppa by the pond watching the tadpoles.

[Evelyn63]

Thats awful Elizabeth Rose, it would break my heart to have to witness all those beautiful trees being destroyed.  Having said that I will put up my hand and say we have recently got rid of a lot of trees, they were the dreaded Leylandia, already planted when we moved here over 25 years ago.  My husband did his best to keep them under control but like Topsy they just " grew and grew" to the point they overtook the whole garden from three sides and it looked like a postage stamp.  We eventually had them removed and the difference is incredible , especially the amount of light we now have plus at least an extra 3 foot or more of border. Which brings me to my next question, we have put up fencing and would like to plant up the border at the back of the garden, the other side has small laurels planted and the opposite has three large raised beds in front a border at the back.  Could anyone recommend some plants and flowers for the border. I am hopeless and at a bit of a loss, I have delphiniums and low border plants in one area but this is a new border and I need something to fill it, now the daffodils and tulips are finished.