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Last night some youths set fire to our hedge. It's a 7 ft conifer hedge which divides us from what is considered woodland (not that many trees for a wood ) )We were in the livingroom witht the curtains drawn and knew nothing of it till we herd the fire engines. The flames were aparently quite high and lots of smoke. Luckily the fire brigade got there before it spread very far and there are about 4 mature trees which are blackened skeletons of their former self. The trees run the full length of the house and garden so we were VERY lucky that someone saw them throw whatever it was as another 2 ft and the gate would have gone up and just behind there is the rabbit hutch and then the chuck coop. The gate is also attached to the garage which is attached to the house

Will need to chop these down but the trunks are very thick and don't see how we will get the roots out. Am fed up as it's just mindless destruction and could have potentially caused a catastrophe.

Not sure whether to go ahead with the front garden potager now. Maybe just making myself a target for theft and destruction.

Oh no how awful for you, glad it didn't spread any further.

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Belgrave-allotments.co.uk

Hi Serenity

I'm so glad the fire didn't spread any further than it did. So sorry to hear about this - why can't living things just be left alone? Mindless yobbos.

Take care Serenity.

Squash Muppet x

sorry to hear about the fire but also glad you and yours are ok do they have any ider as to who it was

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Some things in their natural state have the most VIVID colors
Dobby

Oh, how sickening for you! You should go ahead with your plans, I know you might well suffer damage but if you change your plans then they have won a double victory!

The guy who saw them throw it said they were teenagers but they ran off straight away. In the summer the kids set fire's all the time but usually further up the hill. The fire brigade must have to come out twice a week when the grass is long and dry.

You're right tpeers will have to find veggies which don't look so tempting to pinch, kids probably wouldn't know rainbow chard was edible.

Shocking Serenity ! But I'm so glad it wasn't worse for you. You must be very upset about it. When you've calmed down, just clean up the mess and carry on with your own sweet plans. Never let the yobs dictate any aspect of your life, otherwise they have won.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Sorry to hear about the destruction - we would never have dreamed of setting fire to anything when we were small.

Conifer roots are not very deep. Leave them for a while so the small roots die off then you should be able to dig them out. Is there a chance that the mature trees will recover or have they been too badly damaged? I would give them time and see what happens there.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Sorry to hear of your experience Serenity. One consolation for your potager plans is the kids in general don't like veg! Do what you were going to do and live your own life.

Flum

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

I agree with flum, do't let the little sh*ts get to you, don't turn from your path.

I'd say don't cut the stumps too short and then it will be easier to tow/winch them out

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Paul

so sorry serenity, dont give up, you could try inviting the stray teenages in to see your chooks, then maybe word will get out and they will exert peer presure, just a thought.
glad your all ok.

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

Serenity, chap up the road from me got rid of 18" diameter leylandii, every trace.

He worked on them with ladder , saw and loppers, leaving a six foot high stump.

Then his mate with a mini-digger came round, went through the gate ok, dug down about three feet all round, then fingered the top with the bucket spikes and rocked it. A spade, small hand axe and trowel allowed access to and cutting of any large roots until the digger could lay it over, pull it out the hole and voila.

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Always thank people who have helped you immediately, as they may not be around to thank later.
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I am so sorry Serenity, just read your post. My heart goes out to you.

Hello serenity
Sorry again for all this rubbish happening to you. *************

Anyway, now thats out of my system. I think if it was me, I would not be happy to continue living in my house if I thought someone else was dictating what I got up to in my garden! You've every right to be furious I agree but don't 'let the bar stools grind you down'. Do your garden the way you want to (obviously now you have the need to be wary, so like you said be a bit more picky perhaps in what you plant but just make sure you do plant.)

How about Rhubarb, never liked the look of that much as a kid?

xx

Sorry to read about such a horrible thing happening Serenity, fire is a particular 'phobia' of mine, I know I'd be totally freaked out.
We had problems with idiots/conifer hedge last year - they thought it'd be great fun to climb on top of it from nearby wall, and launch themselves onto the top of my car, then on over the top of 3 others parked in the row... We all ended up with damage to roof and bonnet, and then to top it off, others ran off with 2 big trays of plants (hardening off for a plant sale at school) and threw them into gardens all down the street. By that point, my dog had started barking her head off and when we opened the door she chased em down the street... Funnily enough, the police in station at the end of road noticed that, and we got told off for not having her 'under control'... Not had any bother since, but I sit in the front room with the curtains open now, and the hedge has been re-shaped so i can see what's going on.

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Sarah

“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

We had some idiots down on our allotments who decided to set fire to a community shed. It had only been up for about a week! It is, I'm afraid, all part of a much deeper malaise (just witness the news with stabbings, rapings, beatings, shootings etc!). I know I keep bashing on about this, but I work with teenagers, and I have to say, in the main they are a good bunch (even though they all have baggage of some sort) I have found, in conversation with them that they feel a) directionless b) un guided and c) not respected. For a lot of them, the only option is some sort of violent outburst. I do not in any way excuse or condone what happened, and am very glad no one was hurt, but let's all look at the bigger picture and see what we can do to help.

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Zebedee
"Raised to a state of heavenly lunacy where I just can't be touched!"

Big thankyou to everyone for your support. Am feeling a little better about things today, was a bit of a shock at first and I was full of what if's. But you are all right and I won't change my plans but will be glad when we get rid of the trees as they are quite scary looking and we have had quite windy weather over last 2 days so lots of sooty dust been blown around.

With most kids it is any green veg, but if you are looking for colour in your pottager how about black kale and red brussles?


Having lived through a house fire, can I recommend to everyone that smoke alarms should be checked on a weekly basis and vacuumed every few months to clear dust deposits that may stop them from working.


I quite agree! Could I ask (very cheekily) if people would consider giving one hour a month to their local church, scouts or guides - you don't have to work with the kids, book keeping, maintenance jobs, making the tea! These are all invaluable to the organisations involved.

And having hijacked your thread Serenity, I apologise and will now creap away quitely!

serenity, I've only just read this post, and am so sad to hear of it. Nil carborundum.... Keep your chin up!
Thinking of you

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Regards, Jane
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? The creative adult is the child who has survived.
Ursula LeGuin
http://www.etribes.com/madderbat

me too i find just getting chatting to local teens and showing respect gets you respect in return.

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

So what did Serenity do to be so disrepected and get her hedge set on fire. ! Respect is a concept some of them don't have. There is something very deep seatedly wrong in their lives and there are no quick, fix solutions. Especially when we haven't identified the problems.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

hi Serenity - what a nightmare for you.
we had an old leylandii 'hedge' (about 30' tall!), and rather than remove the stumps, we cut all the branches back to the trunks, so we were left with a line of 'poles' - we then strung wires across the lot, and have used it to support climbers. from our point of view, it was much easier than removing them, and it also meant we were able to recreate a whole area of the garden very quickly...
don't know if that might be an idea for you?

I think when someone like that, sees something lovely and carefully looked after, something happens inside of them, jealousy if you like, 'If I haven't got it, why should you', 'I'll ruin it and then we are equal'. Its more than sad, but there never seems to be a sure answer. For one bully yes, but for a gang; there is anonymity.
As far as they see, they don't need to show respect to someone they don't know and not knowing them makes them feel better. Doing it gives them a sense of power.
Where we look at them and see the exact opposite of the image they try to portray, they never see that.
I hope we can help them, but its hard enough forgiving them for what they have already done, and trying again seems hopeless.
I feel somehow its a bit like gardening, this tuff old piece of land that no one wants and yet it could be...
The people who work with kids get my full support, but I wish it would work already!