Across and alongside the track from our allotment was a 2ft wide bit of soil
covered with weeds against a S. facing wall. Not being one waste such a
superb growing position I dug over the bit opposite out plot and planted
surplus plants from our garden there, a number of TB Iris some large Red Hot
Pokers, lots of hardy Geraniums and a small Paulownia.
Beginning to look nice until we went down there yesterday, some idiots have
obviously been employed to strim the weeds and they have gone along the wall
and strimmed everything to the ground!
I suppose if they had any intelligence they wouldn't do that job.
Rant over.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
Across and alongside the track from our allotment was a 2ft wide bit of
soil covered with weeds against a S. facing wall. Not being one waste such
a superb growing position I dug over the bit opposite out plot and planted
surplus plants from our garden there, a number of TB Iris some large Red
Hot Pokers, lots of hardy Geraniums and a small Paulownia.
Beginning to look nice until we went down there yesterday, some idiots
have obviously been employed to strim the weeds and they have gone along
the wall and strimmed everything to the ground!
I suppose if they had any intelligence they wouldn't do that job.
Rant over.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

I planted all the surplus bulbs I and the hens had dug out of parts of our
garden in the street verge opposite our house. The council workmen cut the
leaves and flowering spikes down.

I know it's council land but really! There's another strip right outside all
our boundary walls. It used to be grassed and when I was a child until about
the 70s it was mown either by the residents or the council. Then new
residents didn't bother and nor did the council, when the council did come
it was on totally unsuitable ride-on mowers (for an 18" strip) which took
off the top layer of growth and soil and threw all the cuttings onto the
pavement.

Some of us planted flowers in the strip hoping that they'd notice and leave
them but they didn't so I and a few more planted small trees and bushes
which the mowers had to avoid. That seems to have done the trick. The mowers
come about twice a year and cut the grass (well, mostly weeds) outside about
three properties in the street.

The other local streets have/had grass verges at the other side of the
pavement next to the road. Most of them have been parked on so often that
they're just muddy ruts now*.

It brings out the worst in one!

My concern now is that we're going away in a week or so, for a fortnight,
and they're busy digging up the paving slabs on the footpath/car parking
spaces* and replacing them with tarmac, I can't find out if they're going to
spread it right up to the boundary walls or leave the planting.

If I can't find out and be able to move the expensive plants in time I'll be
distracted while we're away.

Mary
*all the houses have drives.

On 20 Jul, 16:20, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Bob Hobden" wrote in message

... Across and alongside the track from our allotment was a 2ft wide bit of
soil covered with weeds against a S. facing wall. Not being one waste such
a superb growing position I dug over the bit opposite out plot and planted
surplus plants from our garden there, a number of TB Iris some large Red
Hot Pokers, lots of hardy Geraniums and a small Paulownia.
Beginning to look nice until we went down there yesterday, some idiots
have obviously been employed to strim the weeds and they have gone along
the wall and strimmed everything to the ground!
I suppose if they had any intelligence they wouldn't do that job.
Rant over.

I planted all the surplus bulbs I and the hens had dug out of parts of our
garden in the street verge opposite our house. The council workmen cut the
leaves and flowering spikes down.
I know it's council land but really! There's another strip right outside all
our boundary walls. It used to be grassed and when I was a child until about
the 70s it was mown either by the residents or the council. Then new
residents didn't bother and nor did the council, when the council did come
it was on totally unsuitable ride-on mowers (for an 18" strip) which took
off the top layer of growth and soil and threw all the cuttings onto the
pavement.
Some of us planted flowers in the strip hoping that they'd notice and leave
them but they didn't so I and a few more planted small trees and bushes
which the mowers had to avoid. That seems to have done the trick. The mowers
come about twice a year and cut the grass (well, mostly weeds) outside about
three properties in the street.
The other local streets have/had grass verges at the other side of the
pavement next to the road. Most of them have been parked on so often that
they're just muddy ruts now*.
It brings out the worst in one!
My concern now is that we're going away in a week or so, for a fortnight,
and they're busy digging up the paving slabs on the footpath/car parking
spaces* and replacing them with tarmac, I can't find out if they're going to
spread it right up to the boundary walls or leave the planting.
If I can't find out and be able to move the expensive plants in time I'll be
distracted while we're away.
Mary
*all the houses have drives.

Folks, I feel for you, I really do. I'm now trying to ignore all this
because frankly it's not worse getting an ulcer. We've had all the
bottom of our street wall tarmarc, but they also tarmac all the ivy
that dangled down with it! An extraordinary sight - I was so numb with
surprise, because as you say, you've got to be totally idiotic to do
something like this. As far as the 'planting street' is concerned,
we've almost got the upper hand since two years now, when the
'neighbours day' was introduced. We can safely plant around the street
trees, with council money, which is our money, without having a
licence/tax/fine/whatever and more importantly they don't cut anything
we plant. However, we're still in a battle with the annual spraying of
weed killers along our walls and street and yes, you've guessed it,
they've sprayed around the trees - so now it's all dead.

I assure you, either we're the ones who are mad or the council have
such a mismanagement, they cannot comprehensively organise the
cleaning/maintainance of our streets without undoing what they are
doing, at our expenses. As I said, I'm not getting an ulcer. I'll
plant again next year and perhaps, only perhaps, they'll be a bright
spark in the council who's going to realise something is wrong ...!

On Jul 20, 4:07 pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
Across and alongside the track from our allotment was a 2ft wide bit of soil
covered with weeds against a S. facing wall. Not being one waste such a
superb growing position I dug over the bit opposite out plot and planted
surplus plants from our garden there, a number of TB Iris some large Red Hot
Pokers, lots of hardy Geraniums and a small Paulownia.
Beginning to look nice until we went down there yesterday, some idiots have
obviously been employed to strim the weeds and they have gone along the wall
and strimmed everything to the ground!
I suppose if they had any intelligence they wouldn't do that job.
Rant over.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Bob that is do disheartening, how stupid, even someone with half a
brain should have known to leave them alone. Do you know anyone on
the Council who will bring up this sort of thing at their next
session?

Judith

wrote in message
...

... However, we're still in a battle with the annual spraying of
weed killers along our walls and street

Same here. They don't bother with the litter (cans, bottles and worse) but
they spray everything which shows its head between the paving stones.

Perhaps that might change when we have black top.

I assure you, either we're the ones who are mad or the council have
such a mismanagement, they cannot comprehensively organise the
cleaning/maintainance of our streets without undoing what they are
doing, at our expenses.

Yes :-(

Mary

"Judith in France" wrote in message
...
On Jul 20, 4:07 pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
Across and alongside the track from our allotment was a 2ft wide bit of
soil
covered with weeds against a S. facing wall. Not being one waste such a
superb growing position I dug over the bit opposite out plot and planted
surplus plants from our garden there, a number of TB Iris some large Red
Hot
Pokers, lots of hardy Geraniums and a small Paulownia.
Beginning to look nice until we went down there yesterday, some idiots
have
obviously been employed to strim the weeds and they have gone along the
wall
and strimmed everything to the ground!
I suppose if they had any intelligence they wouldn't do that job.
Rant over.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Bob that is do disheartening, how stupid, even someone with half a
brain should have known to leave them alone. Do you know anyone on
the Council who will bring up this sort of thing at their next
session?

Judith

Judith, you can find exactly the person who's in charge of such things and
convince him/her of your case but they don't go out with the 'workers'. The
bosses say that the 'workers' are 'trained'.

If you see the 'workers' who do this they say that they're under orders.

Shades of the Third Reich ...

Mary

Mary

On Jul 20, 8:00 pm, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Judith in France" wrote in ...



On Jul 20, 4:07 pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
Across and alongside the track from our allotment was a 2ft wide bit of
soil
covered with weeds against a S. facing wall. Not being one waste such a
superb growing position I dug over the bit opposite out plot and planted
surplus plants from our garden there, a number of TB Iris some large Red
Hot
Pokers, lots of hardy Geraniums and a small Paulownia.
Beginning to look nice until we went down there yesterday, some idiots
have
obviously been employed to strim the weeds and they have gone along the
wall
and strimmed everything to the ground!
I suppose if they had any intelligence they wouldn't do that job.
Rant over.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Bob that is do disheartening, how stupid, even someone with half a
brain should have known to leave them alone. Do you know anyone on
the Council who will bring up this sort of thing at their next
session?

Judith

Judith, you can find exactly the person who's in charge of such things and
convince him/her of your case but they don't go out with the 'workers'. The
bosses say that the 'workers' are 'trained'.

If you see the 'workers' who do this they say that they're under orders.

Shades of the Third Reich ...

Mary

Mary

Shadows of something Mary, something nuts.

Judith

On 20/7/08 20:49, in article
, "Judith
in France" wrote:

On Jul 20, 8:00 pm, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Judith in France" wrote in

...



On Jul 20, 4:07 pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
Across and alongside the track from our allotment was a 2ft wide bit of
soil
covered with weeds against a S. facing wall. Not being one waste such a
superb growing position I dug over the bit opposite out plot and planted
surplus plants from our garden there, a number of TB Iris some large Red
Hot
Pokers, lots of hardy Geraniums and a small Paulownia.
Beginning to look nice until we went down there yesterday, some idiots
have
obviously been employed to strim the weeds and they have gone along the
wall
and strimmed everything to the ground!
I suppose if they had any intelligence they wouldn't do that job.
Rant over.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Bob that is do disheartening, how stupid, even someone with half a
brain should have known to leave them alone. Do you know anyone on
the Council who will bring up this sort of thing at their next
session?

Judith

Judith, you can find exactly the person who's in charge of such things and
convince him/her of your case but they don't go out with the 'workers'. The
bosses say that the 'workers' are 'trained'.

If you see the 'workers' who do this they say that they're under orders.

Shades of the Third Reich ...

Mary

Mary

Shadows of something Mary, something nuts.

Judith


I think we're very lucky here. Sprays are used but in great moderation and
the banks here are filled with wild flowers running alongside all the lanes
and the main road, the A38. We have great sheets of primroses and ox eye
daisies, valerian, violets, foxgloves, dog roses and honeysuckle, as well as
Queen Anne's lace and all sorts of other things I don't recognise. But we
have lost a stand of wild orchids after a house owner was allowed to build a
perfectly hideous brick wall and drive. In fact, I sometimes wish I had
Kay, or someone equally knowledgeable, here to name all these things for me.
At present there's something plumey and cream coloured in the hedgerows and
I have no idea what it is. I think I really must try to remember to keep a
camera in the car and then put up pics of all the wild flowers which I can
ask people to ID for me.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

"Judith in France" wroteafter "Bob Hobden" wrote:
Across and alongside the track from our allotment was a 2ft wide bit of
soil
covered with weeds against a S. facing wall. Not being one waste such a
superb growing position I dug over the bit opposite out plot and planted
surplus plants from our garden there, a number of TB Iris some large Red
Hot
Pokers, lots of hardy Geraniums and a small Paulownia.
Beginning to look nice until we went down there yesterday, some idiots
have
obviously been employed to strim the weeds and they have gone along the
wall
and strimmed everything to the ground!
I suppose if they had any intelligence they wouldn't do that job.
Rant over.


Bob that is do disheartening, how stupid, even someone with half a
brain should have known to leave them alone. Do you know anyone on
the Council who will bring up this sort of thing at their next
session?

I suspect it was a contractor for the local Water Co. as they have a sewage
pumping station at the end of the track.
Having spoken to them before about something else I doubt I would ever get
any sense.
The iris will regrow, and possibly the geraniums but I doubt anything else
will. I'll try marking it our with something to give them a clue.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden

"Mary Fisher" wrote

... However, we're still in a battle with the annual spraying of
weed killers along our walls and street

Same here. They don't bother with the litter (cans, bottles and worse) but
they spray everything which shows its head between the paving stones.

Perhaps that might change when we have black top.

I assure you, either we're the ones who are mad or the council have
such a mismanagement, they cannot comprehensively organise the
cleaning/maintainance of our streets without undoing what they are
doing, at our expenses.

Yes :-(

It's this modern culture of administrators in place of managers, you see it
in the NHS all the time, ask anyone on any ward when they last saw anyone
from "Management" just looking around and you will get a blank look.
Administrators sit behind desks.
Managers don't.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden

In message , Sacha
writes
At present there's something plumey and cream coloured in the hedgerows
and I have no idea what it is. I think I really must try to remember to
keep a camera in the car and then put up pics of all the wild flowers
which I can ask people to ID for me.

Meadowsweet (Filependulina ulmaria)? Except that up here it mostly grows
along the canal banks, and I would have thought hedgerows too dry.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

On 20/7/08 23:35, in article lid, "Stewart Robert
Hinsley" wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes
At present there's something plumey and cream coloured in the hedgerows
and I have no idea what it is. I think I really must try to remember to
keep a camera in the car and then put up pics of all the wild flowers
which I can ask people to ID for me.

Meadowsweet (Filependulina ulmaria)? Except that up here it mostly grows
along the canal banks, and I would have thought hedgerows too dry.

I'm tempted to agree but I think I'll try to take a photo and see if you
think that's it. I'm just terrible at wildflower names. As to being too
dry, this is Devon, and it's green for a reason! ;-) I'll try to get to this
tomorrow if time allows me to do so.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Perhaps it is the wild clematis?

On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:57:03 +0100, Sacha wrote
(in article ):

giant snip


I think we're very lucky here. Sprays are used but in great moderation and
the banks here are filled with wild flowers running alongside all the lanes
and the main road, the A38. We have great sheets of primroses and ox eye
daisies, valerian, violets, foxgloves, dog roses and honeysuckle, as well as
Queen Anne's lace and all sorts of other things I don't recognise. But we
have lost a stand of wild orchids after a house owner was allowed to build a
perfectly hideous brick wall and drive. In fact, I sometimes wish I had
Kay, or someone equally knowledgeable, here to name all these things for me.
At present there's something plumey and cream coloured in the hedgerows and
I have no idea what it is.

Meadowsweet?

--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
Posted through the usenet newsgroup uk.rec.gardening

On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:17:12 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote
(in article ):


"Judith in France" wroteafter "Bob Hobden" wrote:
Across and alongside the track from our allotment was a 2ft wide bit of
soil
covered with weeds against a S. facing wall. Not being one waste such a
superb growing position I dug over the bit opposite out plot and planted
surplus plants from our garden there, a number of TB Iris some large Red
Hot
Pokers, lots of hardy Geraniums and a small Paulownia.
Beginning to look nice until we went down there yesterday, some idiots
have
obviously been employed to strim the weeds and they have gone along the
wall
and strimmed everything to the ground!
I suppose if they had any intelligence they wouldn't do that job.
Rant over.


Bob that is do disheartening, how stupid, even someone with half a
brain should have known to leave them alone. Do you know anyone on
the Council who will bring up this sort of thing at their next
session?

I suspect it was a contractor for the local Water Co. as they have a sewage
pumping station at the end of the track.
Having spoken to them before about something else I doubt I would ever get
any sense.
The iris will regrow, and possibly the geraniums but I doubt anything else
will. I'll try marking it our with something to give them a clue.


How about a prominent sign: "Warning! Natrix natrix inhabit this area. Do
not approach or spray."

:-)


--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
Posted through the usenet newsgroup uk.rec.gardening