Front and back garden pictures

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Front and back garden pictures

Postby alison on Wed Jun 23, 2010 5:35 pm

Sonny took a couple of photos of the front and back garden today. He isn't too keen on the Ivy but I love it and it has nesting sparrows in it along with lots of insects etc. I am hoping our son will come to just trim it back a little. The wild geraniums are just past their best but they have been glorious with flowers full of honey bees and bumblies.

Image


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He took this photo of the back garden from upstairs so that is why the lawnmower and me are still in the picture. I had said to him that I was going to cut the grass and then would he take some photos of the garden for me once I had finished and put the plants back, but obviously he didn't hear that part. And no I am not the orange blob in the middle that is the new lawnmower. :D
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Re: Front and back garden pictures

Postby alison on Wed Mar 16, 2011 3:23 pm

It seems such a long time ago since these pictures were taken. The garden looks so nice and colourful there, what a shame winter comes and takes it's toll. But as written in another post, spring has really started to take shape in the garden now and lots of splashes of colour are filling the brown earth. The Ivy did get cut back and it still looks nice and neat now. The sparrows are nicely getting ready for babies by picking up twigs to make their nests. Last year when our son cut back the ivy he found a lovely nest so beautifully formed. It is amazing how intricate all nature is when building nests, webs etc they certainly know how to do it.
Well heres hoping that spring and summer will bring the same good results of these photo's from last year. Happy gardening. :D
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Re: Front and back garden pictures

Postby retropwr on Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:52 pm

But if the winter didn't come and take it away there would be nothing to look forward to when it all regrows and all the brown stuff starts turning green again. :)
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Re: Front and back garden pictures

Postby alison on Fri Mar 18, 2011 1:55 am

That is so true. I love to see the shoots coming through and wonder for a short time which plant is coming up, I bought quite a few perrenials last year to come up in the front garden throughout different months and I have noticed that they are coming up now so it is very exciting as I can't remember what they are called or what they look like so it will be fun to watch them turn into the beautiful flowers that nature intended. Some are spiky leaved and some are like little rosettes at the moment.
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Re: Front and back garden pictures

Postby alison on Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:20 pm

In October last year (2013) I had a letter from our landlord Leeds City Council to say my garden was in an unacceptable condition and the shrubs were overgrown and I had to cut back the Ivy the grass and shrubs, and that I had 4 weeks to put it right. They even sent me an A4 photo they had taken of it which I thought was really nice. As you can imagine I was shocked because mine is the only garden that is like any sort of garden. All the others had paved or tarmac-ed theirs and these neighbours always commented to me how lovely it was.
The Ivy had only a few days before been cut back up to the bedroom windows but I wanted to keep some of the flowers as nectar for the insects so was waiting until they had died off before cutting it all back. As the day went on I got really annoyed about it and decided to send the letter writer a return e-mail where-in I wrote a poem. This is what I wrote.

I can't believe what happened today, A letter came through my door.
It was from Leeds City Council, I wondered what it was for.

To my surprise (which changed to shock) A letter and photo were inside,
And an order to evict my wildlife, who rely on my garden to reside.

It is Autumn now, a time of change, when my flowers all but fade
But before I usually cut back my shrubs, the leaves for my earthworms, decay.

From the flowering Ivy and Caster Oil shrub who give nectar in time of need
For all the insects traveling on, needing sustanance, -A jolly good feed-

We are asked to -" give nature a home or all nature will be gone"
I try my best all year around to hear all natures song.

From March until September my garden is full of flowers
And many neighbours smile and say "Thankyou for your gardening hours"

They appreciate the beauty as they hurry too and fro,
Their gardens are concrete jungles, And nature had nowhere to go.

And so it may look a little unkempt or unloved in eyes that can't see,
The wonder of nature tha's living here, They are like family to me.

It is such a shame you didn't come in June, as that's the best time of all
The gardens a zing of colour galore, shrubs are not as good in ' The Fall '

I always tidy my garden, It's just such a part of me
Unfortunately you came when I was not at my best, A virus had overtaken me.

But out in the garden my feet will tread, with boots, hat, scarf, and glove
To make it a garden like all the rest - devoid of any love.

Is that what you really want, A neighbourhood, dark, dull and grey.
I promise to cut back my shrubs... but maybe not today..... IT'S RAINING

We have lived in this house since 1987 and have never had the garden looking so nice as it does today. Obviously the person who saw the photo didn't know what a garden should look like in the first place.
I also told them to come back in June and take another lovely picture for me...
So far have not heard anything else.
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Re: Front and back garden pictures

Postby alison on Sat Aug 09, 2014 11:24 am

Yesterday I received another letter from the council telling me I have to cut back an elderberry tree that is going over into next doors garden and to take all my Ivy away from the house. I am so upset over it. I had spoken to my neighbour telling her that my son was going to cut back the elderberry as she had mentioned it was getting over her garden. She told me she had rung the council and they had been out to see her. So I didn't cut it back as she said they were going to do it. She had never even said to me Alison would you mind cutting back the tree, all she had done was mention it was going into her garden and that it should only be a bush not a tree.I had told her that my son would deal with it but it might be best to do it in the autumn when the leaves are gone and the branches can be seen better.
I spoke to the council guy and told him that when he wrote to me last time he didn't tell me to take the Ivy off the wall but he said that is in the past. You have 14 days to remove it. I told him it would look a mess when it came off and would they be prepared to paint the walls. He said no as I had done the damage. I asked if they would take the ivy away, he again said no, it was my problem and had to get rid myself.
The Ivy has been up for over 10 years has done no damage to the walls it has only brought goodness. The sparrows all nest in it and we have had amazing bugs and spiders etc. I keep it cut right back twice a year and more often round the windows. At the moment it is extremely neat and tidy having had it's cut a week or so ago.
It is a difficult situation as the council could evict us from our home even though we have lived here since 1987 if we don't comply with them but morally it all seems wrong that someone could complain about a tree and now we are in a situation that the council wont budge on.
I am deeply upset. The house is going to look a right pigs ear when it comes off and leaves all those little suckers that keep it there. :( :(
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Re: Front and back garden pictures

Postby alison on Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:10 am

Well we have cut back the elderberry from our neighbours side and of course what was a nicely shaped tree now looks very lobsided, but we have complied with the councils wishes. We have not taken the Ivy off the walls and the 14 day deadline came and went without any further messages.
We are lucky to have a local councilor living on our street who walks his dog past my house every day. As I was getting out of my car he was just walking past so I mentioned the situation to him and he was so complimentary about my garden especially about my border of wild geraniums and he is now dealing with it for me, so we shall see the outcome soon enough. I just hope it will be in my favour.
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