Hi Folks, I have been hanging around at the back of the bar, chipping in a
little for a few weeks now and decided its time to say a bit more. I am
supposed to be working at home today but sat at the PC looking out of the
window at all the leaves blowing around I decided earning a crust can wait
till its dark or raining. So out came the Billy Goat and 10 full bags later
most of the leaves have gone. Now being able to see the grass on the lawns
it was apparent they needed cutting. Last cut this year do you think?

My home is in Leyburn N Yorkshire, and is a 1930s house built on a acre of
garden that once was quite grand being part of the grounds of an old hall.
It contains over 100 trees, including 18 massive yews and something I am
told is a "tulip tree" that stands taller than the house and has tulip like
flowers for a few weeks in the summer. So you understand now my leaf
problem. If only they would not build up in drifts around the kitchen door.
We moved here 26 months ago from Norfolk and converted a ground floor
extension into an annex for my mother who had always lived in rented
accommodation and was a keen gardener. Sadly she passed away in July leaving
us with her prized pot plants most of which I can't even name let alone know
how to look after. I keep finding little plants growing in pots tucked away
in corners, probably cuttings she nicked from somewhere.

Apart from the immediate area surrounding the house most of the gardens had
been left to go wild and had been taken over by ivy, including the dry stone
walls that surround the property by 80%. So my first task was to strip ivy
from everything, walls, trees, paths, and gates. next came the chainsaw
cutting up fallen trees, massive laurels (some had 12inch trunks), and any
growing trees under the size that being in a conservation area dictates I
don't need permission to cut down. Next job was install a woodburning stove
to make use of it all but that's another story. A mini digger was then hired
for a couple of days to remove masses of stumps, bury ancient builders
rubble, dig up ivy, level ready for turfing and generally have fun with. I
think that was the best thing I did at less than £60 including delivery and
fuel those two days made a massive difference opening up the garden and was
great fun.

The gardens rise gently from the entrance gate to the house, then step up 4
feet behind the house with a retaining wall, they then rise by another 4
feet over the next 30 feet of what is now lawn leading to another retaining
wall about 2 feet high. Behind that they rise again much steeper this time
to over the height of the house, and its a tall house. At the top is a flat
area about 40 ft wide leading to what we call the cliff, but is infact the
result of ancient quarrying. Our rear boundary wall is then on top of this
cliff. This steep rear garden is covered in trees and adjoins a public
garden still part of the now local authority owned hall. This causes problem
as the old folly up there is a meeting place for local teenagers, who used
to use our garden as a shortcut by hopping over the drystone wall and out
through our back gate into an area of privately owned unused wooded land.
The main problem was they always left the gate open, even lifting it off its
hinges and throwing it into the wood on one occasion, thus allowing our dogs
to escape. This I have overcome by bolting the gate closed, and I mean nuts
and bolts. but still occasionally I confront youngsters just roaming around
up there. We are considering some sort of camera linked to the PC but don't
know firstly if its legal and secondly if a wireless set up would work over
the distance and through the walls of the house. Any advise on deterring
teenagers welcome.

Time now to walk the dogs.

Mike (the new boy)

Welcome Mike.

Hi Folks, I have been hanging around at the back of the bar, chipping in a
little for a few weeks now and decided its time to say a bit more. I am
supposed to be working at home today but sat at the PC looking out of the
window at all the leaves blowing around I decided earning a crust can wait
till its dark or raining. So out came the Billy Goat and 10 full bags later
most of the leaves have gone. Now being able to see the grass on the lawns
it was apparent they needed cutting. Last cut this year do you think?

Our council are doggedly cutting the park grass, although by no means
can it be referred to as 'lawn'. It leaves a muddy mess and my dog gets
very dirty but after a few days, it is miraculously recovered.

snip

Time now to walk the dogs.

Mike (the new boy)


Stick with it and enjoy
--
June Hughes

On 1/12/06 14:41, in article
, "Muddymike"
wrote:
snip
This steep rear garden is covered in trees and adjoins a public
garden still part of the now local authority owned hall. This causes problem
as the old folly up there is a meeting place for local teenagers, who used
to use our garden as a shortcut by hopping over the drystone wall and out
through our back gate into an area of privately owned unused wooded land.
The main problem was they always left the gate open, even lifting it off its
hinges and throwing it into the wood on one occasion, thus allowing our dogs
to escape. This I have overcome by bolting the gate closed, and I mean nuts
and bolts. but still occasionally I confront youngsters just roaming around
up there. We are considering some sort of camera linked to the PC but don't
know firstly if its legal and secondly if a wireless set up would work over
the distance and through the walls of the house. Any advise on deterring
teenagers welcome.

Time now to walk the dogs.

Apart from the unwelcome visitors, it sounds really lovely. Could you put
up bright lights that would be triggered by movement. CCTV on your own
property is not illegal, so train it on your own boundaries. Get a couple
of sheep and use them as a good reason to instal electric fencing! Not
entirely joking there, I may say - I think one government called it a
short, sharp, shock, didn't they? ;-)
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
.. Any advise on deterring
teenagers welcome.

Time now to walk the dogs.

Apart from the unwelcome visitors, it sounds really lovely. Could you put
up bright lights that would be triggered by movement. CCTV on your own
property is not illegal, so train it on your own boundaries. Get a
couple
of sheep and use them as a good reason to instal electric fencing! Not
entirely joking there, I may say - I think one government called it a
short, sharp, shock, didn't they? ;-)

Now that idea I like, apart from the actual keeping sheep bit. Perhaps I
could import some sheep droppings to make it look as if there were sheep to
justify the electric fence.

Mike (the new boy)

Sacha wrote:

I think one government called it a
short, sharp, shock, didn't they? ;-)

Now you'll have me humming G&S all afternoon..... not entirely a bad thing!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

On 1/12/06 17:54, in article ,
"Gary Woods" wrote:

Sacha wrote:

I think one government called it a
short, sharp, shock, didn't they? ;-)

Now you'll have me humming G&S all afternoon..... not entirely a bad thing!

You calling me cheap? ;-) They call me dear Buttercup........



--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

Sacha wrote:

They call me dear Buttercup........

As described by Anna Russell, "The big fat contralto with a voice like a
foghorn"?

It's cold, drizzly, foggy, in the Northeastern U.S. today. Londoners
should feel right at home!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

On 1/12/06 18:45, in article ,
"Gary Woods" wrote:

Sacha wrote:

They call me dear Buttercup........

As described by Anna Russell, "The big fat contralto with a voice like a
foghorn"?

I prefer "dear little Buttercup". ;-)

It's cold, drizzly, foggy, in the Northeastern U.S. today. Londoners
should feel right at home!

No need to go that far - Devon will do.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Muddymike" wrote in message
om...
Hi Folks, I have been hanging around at the back of the bar, chipping in a
little for a few weeks now and decided its time to say a bit more.

Welcome to URG Mike :~)

..Now being able to see the grass on the lawns
it was apparent they needed cutting. Last cut this year do you think?

I don't do grass so you'll have to wait for someone else to answer that.

prized pot plants most of which I can't even name let alone know how to
look after. I keep finding little plants growing in pots tucked away in
corners, probably cuttings she nicked from somewhere.

If you post a few pictures I'm sure we will be able to identify them :~)

The gardens ............

It sounds like an interesting space.......... Can you post some pictures on
your web site?


Any advise on deterring teenagers welcome.

Prickly hedge
Automatic movement sensor triggered lights
Play classical music loudly

Jenny

"Muddymike" wrote in message

Any advise on deterring
teenagers welcome.

A good barb wire fence?

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from "JennyC" contains these words:

Any advise on deterring teenagers welcome.

Prickly hedge
Automatic movement sensor triggered lights
Play classical music loudly

I have found that treating teenagers as reasonable
human beings usually helps....

--
AnneJ

Shame on you. You are setting a bad example by lying to them:-)

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"Muddymike" wrote in message

Any advise on deterring
teenagers welcome.

A good barb wire fence?


If you have access to a large rambling rose such as rambling Rector, wedding
day, Alberic Barbier etc etc Cut some stems up and push the 1' long hardwood
cuttings into the ground every 6" or so (you may have to loosen the soil to
get them in) along the boundary within a year it will make it very painful
to get in!
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from "JennyC" contains these
words:

Any advise on deterring teenagers welcome.

Prickly hedge
Automatic movement sensor triggered lights
Play classical music loudly

I have found that treating teenagers as reasonable
human beings usually helps....

Reasonable human beings don't climb into folks gardens and throw the back
gate into the undergrowth. For many years I donated my time as a CI to an
ATC squadron where I met and became friends with a lot of very pleasant
teenagers. Sadly we have a minority here who seem to gain pleasure from
destroying and marking other peoples property.

Mike (the new boy)

On 2/12/06 19:30, in article , "Anne
Jackson" wrote:

The message from "Muddymike" contains
these words:
"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from "JennyC" contains these
words:

Any advise on deterring teenagers welcome.

Prickly hedge
Automatic movement sensor triggered lights
Play classical music loudly

I have found that treating teenagers as reasonable
human beings usually helps....

Reasonable human beings don't climb into folks gardens and throw the back
gate into the undergrowth. For many years I donated my time as a CI to an
ATC squadron where I met and became friends with a lot of very pleasant
teenagers. Sadly we have a minority here who seem to gain pleasure from
destroying and marking other peoples property.

Yebbut, if you have only recently moved into the property, and the teenagers
have been hanging around that locale for a few years, then they might well
resent your moving into what was 'their' territory....plus, unless I'm
mistaken, you're an 'incomer' to the district?

This can create resentment....

Er, Anne, if you own the land, don't you think you have the right to use it
as you wish? How about that breeding resentment in the landowner, whether it
be several acres or a few square feet? I really cannot see that it's
helpful to the teenagers to allow them to think they can 'resent' someone
objecting to their disrespectful use of his land. How would they, or their
parents, feel if he went to wherever they live and lifted the door off its
hinges so he and his friends could party in their house, flat or garden?
Why should it be that people with private or large properties can expect
them to be used as public amenities, while others do not expect that to
happen to them in their home?
We had someone here who was heard to tell her small child to 'go and pee in
the garden' when he said he needed the loo. Unfortunately, the person who
overheard this did not ask her where she lived so that we could all go and
pee in HER living space.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
The message from Sacha contains these words:

Er, Anne, if you own the land, don't you think you have the
right to use it as you wish?

How about the people (teenagers included) who believe that
'property is theft'? There's a lot of them around, you know! ;-)

Well if they really do think that way then your suggestion that they
should be treated like human beings isn't going to change their
attitude to other people's property at all.