NEIGHBOURS living next to an 8,000-sq ft back garden "jungle" have told how it dwarfs their homes.

Keen gardener Dr Simon Olpin, 71, has spent 35 years nurturing the oasis behind his normal suburban home in Sheffield, south Yorkshire.

It boasts more than 100 species of plants, 25-foot palm trees which tower over neighbouring lawns and even a fake crocodile.

And now his neighbours have told how they love his "unique" garden – even if the plants do sometimes block out the light.

Penny Rowntree, 55, has lived next to Simon for 11 years and revealed the garden has grown over that time.

She said: “When we moved in it didn’t feel as high as it is now. But with two young children, it felt huge at first.

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“He’s so lovely and it’s really unique – everyone in the area knows him."

She revealed neighbours are allowed to throw their leaves and cuttings over their fence and into Dr Olpin's garden.

“He even recycles our leaves and cuttings, we put them over the fence for him.”

Kate Steer, 45, moved next door to Simon three years ago and has said she "feels very privileged" to live next door to the jungle.

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She said: “We actually knew him before because my husband used to work with him.

"He’s just so knowledgeable and it’s a talking point for the street.

“I once did a charity afternoon tea in my back garden and he offered people tours of his garden which raised a lot of money.

“Sometimes you can see the sun coming up through his garden and it’s beautiful.

“I feel very privileged to live next door to him.”

Jenny Birchcliffe, lives across the road and said Simon is a "delight" to live near.

She said: “It’s very impressive and is a delight to live near.

“It’s really good for the wildlife and for the bees. We have been around the garden and were really impressed.”

Simon, a consultant clinical biochemist, previously moved to the house from Cambridge in 1987 and described the garden as a "black canvas".

The now "jungle" first emerged emerged from a "small pot" after Simon decided not to let his fear of flying stop him from experiencing the jungle.

He said: "It's a very green backdrop then further into the garden, it goes into the jungle as it has some more large, tall trees and a tropical hut.

"It's very tropical, it's certainly not like Sheffield – that's for sure."

Simon has grown 16 Chinese Windmill palm trees that stand 30ft tall in his back garden.

He added: "It's very nice as we've got an area near the house that's very sunny.

"We can sit in the sun surrounded by palm trees, bamboo and some umbrella trees which come from South East Asia."

Simon's three children Holly, 31, Lily, 29 and Jay, 24, grew up believing tigers roamed their garden and that fairies left them letters penned on tree paper.

Simon's favourite part is feeling like you "could be in the middle of the jungle".

He said: "I like the very top of the garden which has got three very tall eucalyptus trees, big bamboos, a couple of really big tree ferns and it's got a thatched hut.

"It's quite shaded so it looks like you could be in the middle of the jungle."

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