Family’s mushy ‘swamp garden’ blamed on son and two dogs
A Scottish family have been left furious at their ‘swamp-like’ garden they say is growing its own ‘ecosystem’.
Ellis Reid, 31, and Douglas Horn, 42, have reached their wits’ end over the state of the grass behind their new-build property.
The couple, who live in Hopefield Gardens, Ayrshire, say algae is now growing in the garden.
Their two dogs and Ellis’s young son, Landon, have been left unable to play outside.
Seven months after moving into her ‘dream home’, Ellis says the experience has become a nightmare.
She told Ayrshire Live: ‘When I first moved in it was great for the wee man, he could play and have his friends round.
‘Now I just shut the curtains. I’m sick of the sight of it.
‘It’s like having a swamp attached to your house. There is algae growing up the fence and on plant pots.
‘We can’t let the dogs out any more – they just refuse to go out in it. They have to use the patio to go to the toilet because they won’t go on the grass.
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if we had tadpoles in it soon, it’s got its own eco-system.
‘I’m dreading the summer, I just wanted to be able to sit outside in the garden when the weather improves but we’ve got no chance of that now.
‘I’m worried it’s starting to trail into the house, when it really rains it just floods, even the patio floods.’
The pair claim a sub-contractor supplied by Riverside Housing hsa told Ellis that her son and two dogs are to blame.
Douglas added: ‘The back garden has just flooded anytime we’ve had rainfall.
‘The garden is ruined it is constantly water logged.
‘We’ve had contractors come out on twice. The first time they agreed with me that there was no drainage in the back garden.
‘When they came out the second time they were only here for a couple of minutes, later that night I was sent an email to say the state of the garden was because of our two dogs and my partner’s four-year-old son.
‘It is unbelievable to think they could be capable of causing that much mess. It’s just lazy blaming a child and dogs for their own failings. There is clearly a drainage issue.’
Work and inspections are now underway to find a solution.
A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: ‘An officer from our Environmental Health team has been investigating a complaint re garden drainage and are discussing the matter with the complainer and Housing Association.’
A Riverside Scotland representative said: ‘We have contacted the tenants and arranged to visit the property and are working with the contractor to help the tenants resolve any issues.’
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