Holiday Home - neighbours kids have trashed all the plants

Hannaho

Hi! The kids next door to our holiday home (semi-d) have trashed most of the plants in our newly laid garden. They use the front garden as a short cut and run across our rockery. I don't want to create a bad atmosphere with our neighbours, but I'm really upset that they would allow their children to do this. The children are boys aged 7 and 9. Any thoughts?

Gumbo

Hannaho wrote: »

Hi! The kids next door to our holiday home (semi-d) have trashed most of the plants in our newly laid garden. They use the front garden as a short cut and run across our rockery. I don't want to create a bad atmosphere with our neighbours, but I'm really upset that they would allow their children to do this. The children are boys aged 7 and 9. Any thoughts?

Talk to the neighbours/parents.

baaba maal

You gotta talk to the parents. It can be a difficult to bring up these issues but it can be done with sensitivity and without pointy fingers etc. I think it is entirely reasonable that the parents ask their kids to not use the rockery as a short cut. I presume from the set up that it can only be the neighbours kids that could do it and you have seen them actually doing it?

Hannaho

I haven't seen them doing it, but they are the only young kids in the estate and they are right next to us - the rockery divides their garden from ours. The guy that does our garden told me about it, and I went down to see it today - I'm really upset about it!

baaba maal

I'd say so. Just be absolutely sure it was those kids before going to the parents though. I know when I lived in an estate as a kid we played in gardens that weren't necessarily the ones that were most convenient, just the ones where we could have the most fun/mischief. Do other gardens have rockeries or could yours be the ideal playground for kids from elsewhere (particularly when you, as the owner, isn't around) and maybe these two hang around with others and they all played on it. I don't want to talk up the issue, but your original concern was not creating a bad atmosphere with the neighbours- accusing the kids in the wrong (or only approaching these parents if other kids were also involved) would certainly achieve that!

MarieOC

Maybe approach the parents telling them what's happened but that you've no idea who would do it; asking them to keep an eye out, that way you're not accusing their kids but it might be the hint they need to notice what they are up to.

CatFromHue

MarieOC wrote: »

Maybe approach the parents telling them what's happened but that you've no idea who would do it; asking them to keep an eye out, that way you're not accusing their kids but it might be the hint they need to notice what they are up to.

This is a good idea.

It's completely non confrontational too.

Ethel

Hannaho wrote: »

I haven't seen them doing it.... The guy that does our garden told me about it...

Is he specifically saying he saw these children in particular doing it? The reason I ask is cats absolutely love freshly dug / unsettled earth to do their business. Also bark chippings etc.

If its definitely the kids next door then I'd go with a non accusatory tone and ask if they'd seen anything and hope they care enough to keep an eye out in future. It does depend entirely on the kind of people you're dealing with. I've given up all hope of a front garden here because nobody seems to give two hoots what their kids do. Unfortunate, but true.

the_syco

Hannaho wrote: »

They use the front garden as a short cut and run across our rockery.

Get the gardener to put in some rose bushes, or other prickly things. Also consider a fence.

CollyFlower

Ethel wrote: »

Is he specifically saying he saw these children in particular doing it? The reason I ask is cats absolutely love freshly dug / unsettled earth to do their business. Also bark chippings etc.

If its definitely the kids next door then I'd go with a non accusatory tone and ask if they'd seen anything and hope they care enough to keep an eye out in future. It does depend entirely on the kind of people you're dealing with. I've given up all hope of a front garden here because nobody seems to give two hoots what their kids do. Unfortunate, but true.

I don't know how to highlight posts but regarding your post above about cats, it's not only cats that mess up gardens it could be dogs, it could be birds (magpies) magpies have a habit of plucking up plants.

Teyla Emmagan

Yeah I would say if the parents don't see/care that their kids are doing this then you can be pretty sure they don't give a sh#te and won't be very receptive. Despite the fact their kids have damaged your property. Look into a fence, something that won't be attractive to climb. Myself and a neighbour had the same problem one year. Feral parents, feral kids. But sure maybe your neighbours will have more of a conscience. Realise how upsetting it is though seeing all your plants destroyed

Ethel

CollyFlower wrote: »

I don't know how to highlight posts but regarding your post above about cats, it's not only cats that mess up gardens it could be dogs, it could be birds (magpies) magpies have a habit of plucking up plants.

Thank you for pointing that out. I used cats as an example, and of course it could be other animals. The point I was actually making was that it was best if someone actually witnessed the children in action, rather than blaming them when it could have been an animal.

No offense was intended for cat owners

Dr Strange

Ethel wrote: »

...

No offense was intended for cat owners

Just an off-topic blip but this is an oxymoron...Cats don't have owners, it's the other way around, cats own people.