Paved paradise

sir – Good luck to the Royal Horticultural Society with getting homeowners to dig up their paving and plant flower patches to tackle climate change (report, September 13).

Where I live, the first thing new owners do is turn the front garden into a hard standing area for cars. The next priority is to build a large extension that takes up a third of the rear garden and then a “shed”, usually with water and electricity, which takes up the rear third. The middle third is paved so that no dirt is carried into the living areas.

Years ago my local authority had a pound-for-pound scheme that provided tree-planting along the street. I and several neighbours collected, and my street has mature trees from top to bottom. However, many neighbours now complain that the trees are “untidy”, with blossom and leaves falling in spring and autumn. The trees attract birds that perch and leave droppings on the cars.

Where do the Royal Horticultural Society’s people live? Not in heavily populated cities, that’s for sure.

Jean Walters

Ilford, Essex