Bad neighbors can really put a dampener on your enjoyment of your own home, but should you let their complaints stop you? One man ignoring any grumbles from over the fence is TikTok user Ross Lee, who has turned his backyard into an oasis.
In a video posted to his TikTok account @rossleegardener on July 10 and viewed over 1.3 million times, Lee showed off his garden with the message, "Your neighbors must love you," and the caption, "My garden, my rules."
Ross's backyard in Suffolk, England, is a natural sanctuary, with large green plants, spiritual statues, patio furniture and a clear geodesic dome, complete with outside bed and cushions.
"I started my gardening journey in 2016," Lee, 31, who is now a gardener, told Newsweek. "I was previously homeless for 10 years, sofa-surfing in and out of hostels. It was a difficult time in my life, but I got help from a charity to secure housing, and I finally had a place to call home."
When Lee moved into the house, the garden was simply a lawn, with a paved area and a shed. He said: "I never had any interest in gardening before and knew absolutely nothing about it. I had an above-ground pool in the garden, which completely killed the grass underneath. I just decided to plant as much as I could in the ground and, 10 months later, all the lawn was gone, and I had about 250 plants in the ground."
Lee received a significant amount of attention for his garden after entering it in the National Garden Scheme. This opens impressive private gardens across the U.K. to the public to raise money for nursing and health charities "through admissions, tea, and cake," the scheme's website says. It adds that over £67 million ($87 million) has been raised for U.K.-based health and garden charities since 1927.
"Gardening really did save my life, and I love being able to share my progress and inspire others to garden," Lee said.
One unique feature is Lee's geodesic dome with bed. "The garden is designed to be accessible all year round and I live in a small one-bedroom house so using my garden as an extra bedroom and dining space is great for me," he said. Despite not having slept in the bed yet, he lays on it while listening to music on warm summer evenings.
"I haven't got a mattress for the bed yet. I still have a few more things to finish in the garden first, so that'll probably be the last thing I buy, but I cannot wait. I've laid in there on a sofa cushion with music playing on a night, and it's so relaxing," Lee said.
Viewers loved the video, with one writing: "If I saw your garden I'd definitely ask you to help me style mine if I was your neighbor."
"Why would it bother the neighbors? The yard is well maintained, beautiful, and disturbs no one," commented another user.
"If I was your neighbor, I WOULD love you," posted a third.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Leonie Helm is a Newsweek Life Reporter and is based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on all things ... Read more
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