New neighbours garden project

Thank you all for your comments etc. Well, I have had a long chat over coffee with one of the new neighbours today. I have seen their design for the renovated from garden and it looks fabulous on paper.

All materials used are up to specification so no worries on that score GNetters. They have approached the Council who advised that there is no problem with the proposed work.

I brought the conversation around to the 'dinosaur' mentality amongst the other neighbours nonchalantly touching on the conversation from yesterday and the new couple are now in the know so they won't get caught on the back foot when the work starts next week.

I was also told this morning that I could have first pick of any plants from their garden if I wished before they allow the rest of the street to do the same rather than them going into the skip, which I think is rather nice of them.

How lovely to have nice new neighbours.

They sound like lovely neighbours. The old interferers just need a few people to tell them where to stick their complaints and petition.

I agree that it is up to the owners. However, this post reminded me of a recent discussion I had with a new arrival to our village who asked what it used to be like. Having lived here for over forty years, I remarked that once it was a very pretty village with gardens one enjoyed looking at but alas, all we grow in our gardens now are cars. My neighbour has four cars and a van!

Polly Dolly I think you have made new friends how nice!

I have a large front'garden' with possible parking for five cars if they are careful.

I'm partisan to gravel which can be wilded and still form a dry and hard enough base for cars. Gravel allows all the surface water to penetrate with no run off, and is also safe to walk on when there is ice on the roads.

It is good that you get on with your new neighbours and you have warned them about the others which is fair and all you can do. Keep right out of discussions with the other lot !

How unbelievably nasty of them!

I wouldn’t say anything to the nice new neighbours (yet) but I would be inclined to tell the other pair that they are being bang out of order.
If this happened to me, as a new neighbour, I would feel so unwelcome.
Do you think that many others will sign it Polly?
Honestly - I’m outraged!

Rubbish! It's not "unbelievably nasty". It was the action of two elderly women who take an interest in their neighbourhood, and simply needed to be agreed with, with the addition of the fact that the new people need to p;ark their cars. There is no need to add to a divisive initiative and every need to calm any bad feeling.

Caleo I honestly don’t understand your above post.

Do you think that starting a petition about the actions of your new neighbours isn’t ‘nasty’?
It’s perfectly acceptable, and community minded; as opposed to: absolutely nothing to do with them?

Surely the petitioning neighbours are ‘initiating bad feeling’; not me!

It's not nasty. It's slightly hysterical. Few people intend to be unpleasant and usually only lack information or a wider perspective.

Sounds a good outcome polly. Your new neighbours are proceeding with thought and care. Hopefully the instinctive objectors will mellow. A plant or two may pour some oil . You’ve trod a careful line. Good for you. I hope it all works out.

Caleo

It's not nasty. It's slightly hysterical. Few people intend to be unpleasant and usually only lack information or a wider perspective.

Thank you for your explanation Caleo
You make an excellent point.
I still think that it’s bang out of order though, but I’m coming at it how is feel if I were the new neighbour.
I’d know that I’d be really, really upset

I feel grateful that here we rarely see any neighbours because of all the trees and bushes. There certainly seems to be a few nasty ones around.

Fanny so would I be upset if I were the new neighbour. It's even harder to be philosophical when you are a stranger going through such a stressful experience.

Do you think old people such as the petitioners can learn empathy?

My friend was terribly upset when the buyers of her house did just that; removed the front garden and levelled it for parking because they had a shared drive and it was causing problems.
She remained friends with her previous neighbour, visiting regularly so saw all the renovations that were being done, and sadly took it all very personally.

I totally agree, its your new neighbours perogative to do as they please with their property.

I most certainly let them know that you have nothing whatsoever to do with this petition, good neighbours are a blessing.
Some people are not happy unless they have something to moan about.