Problems with front gardens

[andrewo]

My only garden is a front garden and it annoys me how many people think they can just help themselves (steal) - this year someone stole my gages of my tree, I caught a neighbour helping herself to cherries and totally b*ll**ked her - she has a huge garden and has no excuse - she thought I didn't want them????? And to make matters worse on New Years Eve some sod stole our wreath off the front door, which was full of nuts for the birds - I tell you, what is it with people who think they can just help themselves? Would they do this in a supermarket? Maybe we shoudl bring back some Dickensian laws and hang them all!!!! Rant over. But really it's does annoy one.

[Mrs Dobby]

Totally agree AndrewO, I bet if the penalty for theft was to loose your hand (as happens elsewhere in the world) then folks would be a bit less willing to take what doesnt belong to them!

[Digger-07]

My rant is with my neighbour who fills our wheely bin with his rubbish!

I try to be very careful with waste and recycle what I can and try to buy stuff with minimum packaging. Just because he has a granny flat which his son lives in and they create enough waste for a small landfill site themselves whay does that give them the right to use my bin?

There was an article on the news yesterday about people paying for their waste to be taken away - fine but I am not paying for his. Is the council going to put locks on the bins?

[andrewo]

Digger, totally agree, the neighbours around here do that, we try and recycle most stuff and therefore only put our bin out when it's full which every fortnight - mainly full of bloody wrapping from supermarkets (no one is blaming them though or pointing the finger about using wrapping that is recycable). Christmas paper can't be recycled because it contains something that can't be recycled BUT do they stop companies from putting it out? Do they reward companies that use recycable packaging - no they charge the bloody consumer for filling their bins!!!???? Mad.

[Digger-07]

The problem I have is that the "green" recycleable wheely bin only gets picked up once a month and is full after about 2 weeks. At least we have a bin and not the silly boxes that South Ribble think will keep people happy.

The good news is that the skips and recycle centre are on the way to the nursery so I get an excuse to go shopping every couple of weeks.

[shirlthegirl43]

Didn't know Christmas paper wasn't recyclable. We don't have bins - black bags for landfill, orange bags for recyclable but no glass and no waxed paper cartons (now that is a pain) and green bags for garden waste. I put the Christmas paper in the orange bag. I think I put out a full black bag per fortnight. In Germany, when you leave the supermarket, there is a waste skip where you can throw all the unwanted packaging from your shopping - brilliant idea. Also, they have a 'glasbak' on every street - little 'domes' for each colour glass. You also have to sort your waste into different colour bins for the type of waste - don't see why they can't do the same here. My neighbour is a lone householder and puts out more rubbish each week than my family of 4! Mind you she is a hairdresser, but that should make for more orange bags not black ones!

[Hans Mum]

The problem I have is that the "green" recycleable wheely bin only gets picked up once a month and is full after about 2 weeks. At least we have a bin and not the silly boxes that South Ribble think will keep people happy.

The good news is that the skips and recycle centre are on the way to the nursery so I get an excuse to go shopping every couple of weeks.

Digger if you ring the council they'll drop you a 2nd or even 3rd green bin thye did for us and now very little goes in the black one

[pigletwillie]

Our front garden is planted cottage garden style and to be honest is a little oasis What really depresses me is that most of the others have cars parked on them and are paved or concreted.

Our next door neighbour asked me once to cut down a wisteria that flowers in profusion because she didnt like the leaves falling into her garden in the autumn. She took both barrels I assure you.

[shirlthegirl43]

My front 'garden' consists of a concreted area where I park my beloved 'Flossie'. Our house is about 3 foot above the road so I have a wall with a 'border' which is planted with daffs and seasonal flowers. I then have planters with assorted pretties in them. The other wall has alpines - a new addition last year which looks way nicer than the weeds that were there before - can't wait to see what they do next summer! My biggest bugbear is that people drop all their fast food wrappers as they go by our house and they seem to collect at the bottom of my steps - honest I don't eat that much junk food!!! Would post a pic if I could work out how! (mind you I have finally got an avatar so anything is possible)

[Digger-07]

Digger if you ring the council they'll drop you a 2nd or even 3rd green bin thye did for us and now very little goes in the black one

Thanks Hans Mum, I didn't know you could do that.

[kirsty b]

I live in the middle of a housing estate and until mid 2005 did not even have afront garden then the council decided to tart the area up. Last summer in my little ptach I grew spuds, broccoli, carrots flowers and herbs and I'm lucky that I did not suffer damage or theft, but I do get a lot of sweet wrappers etc dropped in there. I live close to a small parade of shops that includes a chippy, shop and a pub across the road. People walk by the gardens and just throw their rubbish into the garden they happen to be closest to when they are done eating. It drives me wild, but OH used to be more concerned that people might be amused by the fact that I had veg out there!
Just cos its a front garden and a little less private than out back, doesn't make whats in there fair game for everyone.

Kirsty

[Alison]

Interesting thread this, we have quite a big front garden with some old shrubs and a very grotty patch of grass - have been wondering for a while about using it for more produce but have never noticed anybody else doing this and perhaps need to plan it a bit more. Have already decided to have a herb patch near the front door but am not sure what else to go for yet as I want it be a bit less labour intensive than the plot at the back so that it can always look welcoming even when I've not had time to go out there. I don't see this as a problem in summer but am less sure about winter.

[SueA]

I sympathise with you Andrew, if you planted up your front garden round here with fruit & veg. you would end up with nothing at all! Over Christmas we had drunks/kids etc. who knocked down or damaged most of the 'for sale' signs in the road & tried to rip everyone's car mirrors off! We frequently have chip papers & cans thrown into the garden & I'm constantly picking up sweet wrappers. At least you've proved that what you grow is tasty by virtue of it being stolen! Sorry, it's not funny when you've put all that effort in.

[dexterdoglancashire]

My front garden is the usual grass, trees and a rockery (and a couple of apple trees). I really wanted to grow veg in it but OH put his foot down. We like to think we live in an OK area, but Preston isn't what it used to be, so you have my sympathies Andrew. Dexterdog
Oh, just thought, everyone walks there dog past our house, so perhaps the veg wouldn't be such a good idea after all!

[andrewo]

Our next door neighbour asked me once to cut down a wisteria that flowers in profusion because she didnt like the leaves falling into her garden in the autumn. She took both barrels I assure you.

I had that with my fig trees, it's okay for our neighbour to hang their manky carpet over the fence but figs that grow higher that 5' and they moan. Piglet, I'll visit next time the leaves fall and we can let the neighbours have it from two angles at once...wouldn't be so bad if they asked, please can you sweep them up and compost them. God, these are the kind of people who go for walks in the country in Autumn and moan about the trees spoiling the view or the leaves decaying...tossers...apologies but it boils me blood.