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i have let an eighth of my back garden go wild,i piled up branches there when i pruned the fruit trees,and just left it alone to do its own thing, the birds love it,they hop about and nest in there,hedgehogs are living in there and a toad or two,but my naighbours complain that its an eyesore and just neglected,the fences are thiers and they arn't willing to put higher ones up so they cant see it,so im stumped, how do you have a wild life area with out it offending the naighbours

jayne wrote:i have let an eighth of my back garden go wild,i piled up branches there when i pruned the fruit trees,and just left it alone to do its own thing, the birds love it,they hop about and nest in there,hedgehogs are living in there and a toad or two,but my naighbours complain that its an eyesore and just neglected,the fences are thiers and they arn't willing to put higher ones up so they cant see it,so im stumped, how do you have a wild life area with out it offending the naighbours

try this site - http://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/ might be some advice there for you.

We've done exactly the same thing at the back of the orchard, but perhaps have more understanding neighbours. Not that it would matter, because it's none of their damn business. If you've explained to them that it's a wildlife refuge (or even if you haven't), you have every right to do it.

There's nothing to stop you erecting a secondary fence on your side of the boundary as long as it isn't over 2 metres in height.

I can't stand striped lawns, by the way, but I think it might be unreasonable of me to complain if my neighbour had one.

Explain to the neighbours that it is an area devoted to wildlife, and that these creatures don't have enough habitat these days unless we create it for them. You could explain that hedgehogs eat slugs although I supose that would fall on deaf ears as I bet these kinds of people put slug pellets down all over the place! Birds eat caterpillars and the more wildlife you attract the more beneficial it will be for your gardens in general.

Then if they still don't like it just ignore the stupid people! You know what you are doing is RIGHT.