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Open Plan Gardens

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  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    lynn6 try the following link for berberis hedging they are cheaper than the GC's.

    http://www.scotplantsdirect.co.uk/hedging-plants-shrubs-pot-grown-bare-root/cat_3.html

  • C75C75 Posts: 10

    We have just bought a new build house, open plan fronts and clauses about this and that. 

    Posties and door to door callers walk straight across the front lawn in front of our windows and the kids next door think it's ok to cartwheel in front of our windows and a neighbour two doors down thinks it is ok late at night to let his dog out the front wandering and pooing on the gardens.

    we bought a detached house so that we could eliminate close neighbour noises and thought we'd be ok with our own space all around. 

    Nobody behaved like this years ago, people had respect and kids were taught to learn respect.

    Its quite depressing.

    The sales advisor onsite suggested shaping the lawn and planting flowers... how high or thorny can anyone suggest to put on our garden and let others know where the boundaries are.? 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,109

    Cathy - I totally sympathise. The number of times we've had this conversation at work about disrespectful, inconsiderate behaviour....image

    I even had to report a postman to Royal Mail  - after I'd put a boundary fence up - who ran down the footpath in front of the houses and cut through my garden , before jumping over the fence to get to his van.

    Flowers won't stop them - Mahonia is certainly a good deterrent (there are smaller varieties available, but Soft Caress doesn't have spikes, so avoid that one) as is Berberis - and there are some smaller varieties of that too. Make sure you get evergreens if possible - some berberis aren't, although they keep a jaggy framework through winter.

    The alternative is a solid hedge of something like privet or laurel, but they require a bit more trimming, wheras the 'jaggy' suggestions can be left to form a slightly more informal hedge with occasional tidying. I put up a fence and also planted a Blackthorn hedge, which gets a tidy up every so often.

    It depends how much time you have to spend, and generally speaking, I think people want to just have a tidy front garden and spend more time in their back one.  It is very depressing, but the sooner you get a good barrier in place, the better it will be for your own wellbeing image

    PS - I hope you've reported the ignorant dog owner to the relevant council dept. I had to do that several times too image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    Rosa regosa?

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • C75C75 Posts: 10

    We're not allowed to put a fence around, it annoys me when it's your own house but the builders have these clauses. But thanks I'll look for Mahonia and Rosa , the pricklier the better. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,128

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jHYV6nJksw

    Is you front garden big enough to use one of these?  You need them against the foxes ... image

    You can show the postie where it is and explain, then if he takes a short cut it's his fault.  


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • C75C75 Posts: 10
    Dovefromabove says:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jHYV6nJksw

    Is you front garden big enough to use one of these?  You need them against the foxes ... image

    You can show the postie where it is and explain, then if he takes a short cut it's his fault.  

    See original post

     That looks like a solutio, thanks, I'll look into it and maybe not tell postie, that will teach him not to trespass..?, and anyone else who thinks they can !! 

  • IamweedyIamweedy Posts: 1,364

    I could imagine dogs enjoying that supposed deterrent. 




    'You must have some bread with it me duck!'

  • We have the same problem. Ours is all lawn and sloping away from the house. We get school kids running across it, people letting their dogs run over it. Might just grow a load of thistles there!!?

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,128

    Put a notice up saying the lawn has been treated with weedkiller ...  please keep children and dogs off in case of skin irritation/burns etc.

    Change the notice every couple of weeks ... with any luck people may change their habitual routes and then get used to avoiding your lawn.  

    Worth trying.  

    Last edited: 06 August 2017 14:42:52


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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