Inspired byPaul

We don't all have the same interests, don't we.
The old cottage where I once lived has literally disappeared from sight, after the shrubs in the front garden were allowed to grow unattended for several years, by a disinterested man. Every time we go past it Beryl sais it's like Sleeping Beauty's castle lol :D

Ha ha....I can understand that sentimemt(of the miner) Eirlys but what I don't get is why the people bought our house with so much garden.They insisted they were keen gardeners and wanted us to leave all the plants, rocks, birdbath etc ....they even let me tell them how I would protect some plants for them(we moved in December) with straw over the crowns and I said to check in the spring for slugs /snails etc. I sorted through all my hundreds of plant labels and left the ones for the plants that were still in the garden. And now the front garden is paved, the back garden is mainly covered by a huge extension, the driveway in the side garden which would easily house their two cars, just sits unused.And the side garden including veg patch looks like it's about to be covered in decking. None of my business, I know but I just don't get it. EverytIme I see some of my old neighbour's/friends, I always hear "You should see what they've done to your beautiful garden"

It must be hard seeing all your hard work gone Paul. I know its not about the garden but my last house was a bungalow build in the 30's. It was commissioned by a retiring ships captain. He had taken all the solid oak panelling out of his ship and put it in the hallway. We had 1 couple on a viewing say that they would have to strip it all out and sale on eBay! Another said they would paint it white. At the end of the day that was their choice but I didn't want to be told about it. To me I loved the wood and the history. Thankfully the couple who brought it loved it as much as me.

I expected that someone who bought my house would pave most of the front garden, Jen, because most people don't want a lot of work, particularly in the front garden. But, these people I sited they wouldn't and said how they loved the plants and wanted to keep them all. To be honest, it's such a big front garden that it looks really ugly now, covered in grey pavers....not a single flower or shrub bed.

Wouldn’t it be nice if everybody’s front gardens were well kept even when they are concreted over some people can’t keep them tidy.

I've been lucky in some ways, my moves over the years have alway been long distance moves. I was born in kent but my 1st house was in Bristol, then Romsey Hants, then Essex, then China, then back to Kent and finally here in Shropshire. I have never had to see what someone did to any of my gardens. Ok I understand the need for parking but you said there was already a driveway! I've always thought of a front garden of a place to make yours different from the rest and I don't mean turning it into a car park. Like you paul I don't understand them asking your advise on care or asking you to leave plants.

I sympathise paul and eirlys I am selling my house and everyone just wants to know were they are going to park their cars.

I am beginning to think "Going back" is fatal! Have to say, though, that the people who bought my old Welsh home improved the inside and the outside no end. The garden, when my father had it ,had plants, and fruit, and vegetables to sell. The new people did away with the greenhouses and smartened it all up. It looked really nice when I last saw it but "different!"

Now I have decided never to return to my old village, in my mind, it has reverted to what it was when I was young and is "peopled" with all the folk I knew and who knew me.

Hywel : Quite understand what you and your wife must feel when you see your old house. Sad!

Paul: I'd feel really angry and conned. Plants one has grown are like pets : they've been nourished and cared for. We have trees and I know when we are gone the new owners will chop some of them down. I feel guilty thinking about that, The blue spruce was grown from seed and towers in the front lawn. Just hope one of the offspring buys the place!

Jen: Love Herefordshire and Shropshire and Shrewsbury Park and Ride has some of the nicest bus drivers!

Eirlys, I can totally understand about your old village. My hubby same about our last home. I've travelled and moved about but he hasn't. The village we left in kent was were he had grown up. They are just about to really expand it and he doesn't want to see it. As for the bus drivers, I've not tried them yet. We only about 20 mins from Shrewsbury. We drive in and take the dogs and cause havoc lol.

These stories are so sad. I think most of us will remember Paul's beautiful front garden - why can't people tell the truth instead of saying what they think you want to hear?
We have moved several times too. The first time the new people chopped down a young golden plum that was just starting to bear, and dug up all the alpine strawberries.
But the small Christmas tree that we planted in the 70's on the green in front of the house is now a huge tree, which was a nice surprise when we saw it last year.

The next time we moved it was a John Downie crab that went.
Still trying to leave a tree legacy I've planted 20 trees in the chapel graveyard on some spare ground - just hoping that they at least will have a chance to grow up!

Good for your Stera - stick in as many trees as you can, listening to Country File (not completely taking it in as I was doing something else!) I thought I heard them say that it would a good idea for the farmers to plant more trees to help with the greenhouse gases - I thought that was old news! Everyone knows that trees help with CO2 - don't they?
Sorry got a bit off track there! I agree with you Eirlys remember it as it was, who wants to know that the park you played in, tree you first kissed under, stream you caught 'tiddlers' in have been done away with to park some cars!

Steragram: Some people seem to dislike trees! Someone bought a place near us and decimated all the boundary trees. She was quite wrong to do so and the Warden, (National Trust), was so angry I could hear him from our place. She moved a couple of months after that!

We have to think about some trimming this year as branches are now reaching out for BT's wires. It's a specialist job and the tree surgeons round here are very careful not to transgress where NT is concerned. Fallen branches are left for wild creatures, and plants soon take root.

Plants are so odd! We smother three clematis with a lot of care and get excited when on a long, spindly stalk we get a cluster of flowers. I like clematis but have lost a lot in the past.

Tonight as we walked around the garden we saw one climbing all over a magnolia and were amazed at the number of flowers. We had almost forgotten there was one there and certainly had neglected it.

Are you planting yews, Steragram? :O)

Honeysuckle: Love your last comment! So true.

Eirlys you don't have to trim trees that interfere with BTs wires - they will send OpenReach to do it for free. They did some for us last year.

That's good to hear. Thanks, Paul.