Dreadful Neighbour Problems Involving Your Garden

I was not sure about starting this topic, but from what I can gather many people do have dreadful neighbours interfering with your garden and want to mention what you have to put up with.

 

Are you speaking from your own point of view or experiences we may have had @weedaway?

 

I've moved house many times and haven't had a problem with any of my neighbours and count myself lucky. My current neighbour's garden is a wilderness and from time to time I have to take it in hand when it spreads into my own. They are quite happy for me to do that. My other neighbours are horses and cattle or sheep, not a problem unless they break down the fencing.

 

We have lovely neighbours thankfully.
But I had a colleague at work years ago that moved house due to the horrible one's that he had.
Mine are keen gardeners and we exchange plants and produce.

 

We had nasty neighbour for 20+ years now peace

 

Thankfully not something that I've experienced.

 

So good to hear that neighbours haven't been a problem for some. I have neighbours who allow their laurel hedge to grow to 18 feet on the boundary between us and them. They have planted forest trees on the boundary too so we get plenty of shade. Now that the oak, ash and chestnut are throwing off seeds I spend unnecessary time clearing them from my garden. It does get to me sometimes. Needless to say relations between us are not good.
The joys of shared boundaries

 

We did have a garden two plots down the road where they had a huge sycamore tree around 50ft tall.
Each year I (and other neighbours) had to be sure to remove the tenacious seedlings.
If one was missed, boy did it get tough to remove. You can imagine my grin, when one day a tree surgeon turned up and removed the offending beast from the said garden.
I love big trees, and we spend many happy times walking in the local woods, and at National trust sites, but domestic gardens are not the right place for them

 

I might be the neighbour causing headache to the couple in the far corner. Our plots join in an angle so 4 gardens have an odd shared corner that is overgrown with mature Ivy and Brambles. The said neighbours have a very neat garden, astroturf, raised planters, colour scheme and decorations (you know what I mean).

My garden style is very (!) different so I let the Ivy grow on my side and cut the brambles down once a summer, the act involving balancing over my hidden wildlife pond which is not my favourite.

They neatly trim their share of Ivy and clearly would prefer something less wild. But I, the nesting blackbirds, sparrows and butterflies put our foot firmly down- the Ivy stays

 

I had three of the darn things the same height when I moved into my current place. Two have been removed but I can't touch the third as it's on a shared boundary. Most of the seeds fall on the lawn so they can be mowed off. The rest fall on my gravel drive so I pull those by hand every year.

 

Because I need agreement from the owner of the field the shared boundary is on and that isn't possible at this time. The only way it will come down is by natural causes. Many of the trees here in the Highlands are not necessarily owned by the people that own the land they stand on. There are Oaks along the road I live on but they are owned by an estate and not the responsibility of the council.

 

My neighbour has conifers along our boundary instead of fence. She lets them grow 12ft tall and only cuts them about every 5yrs and the offcuts smother my garden. The height cuts my morning sun in half and the darn things suck all moisture and goodness out of my border on that side and trying to plant anything is a nightmare because of the roots spreading into my garden and that side of my modest lawn is pants! I HATE HATE HATE them but then I dont think too much of her either. Most selfish, noisy inconsiderate neighbour Ive ever had the misfortune to have. She put her house on the market last year and the whole Close nearly put the flags out! sale fell through due to Covid and now I think she's changed her mind.

 

I had this problem at a previous property years ago.
The ground on my side was as dry as dust. Even after heavy rain the conifers absorbed the lot.
There should be laws to prevent people planting them on boundaries of other people's properties, or a minimum distance (5 metres at least,..preferably 10!)