[karenm]

Hello everyone, what a wonderful site, I have already tried a couple of your recipes and look forward to reading more items in the forum.

I have a problem which I don't know the answer to and wonder if any of you seasoned gardeners would be able to advise me.

My neighbour has lovely tropical plants in her front garden, i.e. bamboo and pampas to name two, however they never prune these and I am sick and tired of coming home from work and having to clean up my front garden and the side of my house as the wind forever blows the old dead leaves onto my property. Today is especially bad because of the high winds, on the back garden they have a 15' forsythia and numerous other overly large shrubs, these are also causing me problems, I have recently built raised beds for 1st time vegetable growing and cant wait to plant out but the soil will not dry out as it is forever in the shade and today it is covered completely in lovely yellow flowers from the forsythia. My neighbours are lovely young people and I don't want to upset them as they do appear not to take criticism lightly but how do I get them to prune their plants or come round and clear up my garden.

Crikey I sound like a right old moaning biddy but I'm not honestly it is just getting me down a bit as I like my garden to be nice and it looks scruffy all the time.

Please advise me on what I can do.

Thanks Karen.

[poultrygeist]

Hi karen. Welcome.

I would bite the bullet and explain your problem. They can see it for themselves so there's nothing to argue about.

Tell them straight what you want to do, why their garden is causing you problems and what you'd like them to do about it.

Pampas grass and Bamboo are notorious for causing problems.

Rob

[karenm]

Thanks Rob, I think I knew I would have to speak to them, I will gladly go and prune their plants myself if needed but they like their privacy and that's why they don't do them.

Karen

[poultrygeist]

Our neighbours used to play loud music and I put up for a while but eventually had a word and they seemed fine about it. It's usually in our heads that the arguments take place 

Good luck

Rob

[peapod]

I had the same problem with a neighbour too and toi make matters worse they were new to the property. I was sick of the brambles, rose bushes and fuschia dropping dead bits all over my garden (and especially my pond), and also growing through the fence.
I went round and asked if I could prune the tops of the plants as it was having a bad effect and they were lovely about it.  They even replaced the damaged fence bits.  As they werent gardeners it didnt occur to them that there were any problems.  Its definately worth an ask

[karenm]

Well thanks you guys I have sorted out my problem. You were right arguments are usually in our heads and mine must have been full.

I have been to have a chat with the neighbours and they are happy for me to go round and prune their plants, although they won't do them themselves. They are in their late twenties so probably too old to manage such manual labour. Oops I'm being bitchy now. I can't wait till the weekend, you can all picture me with a smile on my face and a pair of secateurs in my hands, woe betide those pesky bamboo shoots.

Karen.
xx

[poultrygeist]

  Well done. Make sure you make those cuts to last a year or two. Could even get some free canes out of it 

The seventies and eighties have a lot to answer for.

Rob

[peapod]

Glad it worked out for you Karen 

(PS I like my black bamboo Rob, but its nicely contained, away from my neighbours and not invasive, I knew what to buy!  )

[poultrygeist]

Yes, black is the one to go for I've read.
Slightly more garden friendly and not so likely to attract a family of pandas 

Our neighbours have decimated the jasmine hedge between us but I'm not sure whose it is. They've lived there about 20 years but the hedge is probably a fair bit older.

The old lady is a bit reclusive and only comes out to attempt to murder anything living in the garden. But there's a length further down she hasn't touched which I'm going to carefully prune shortly. But some things just need attacking with gusto !

[peapod]

The neighbours IVe mentioned have now moved out, the house is empty and up for sale. Im unsure what to do this year    Im tempted to nip over the fence and cut above plants mentioned down to the ground (except the roses) but I may get into trouble 
It really does get on my wick when they grow through my fencing, but Im still going to cut the tops off, Ill just through them back over as I am supposed to 

[Trillium]

I had a similar problem with a growing acer tree right in the fence line close to my house. My neighbour's house is further away than mine and my basement was in danger of the big roots. When the neighbour sold the house and moved out, I was there next day with my saw and cut down the tree which never should have been allowed to grow in the first place. The new neighbours never knew the big acer was there and I'm not blabbing.

[Rangerkris]

Just make sure you and them both know whats going to happen whats being pruned and whats not, how hard and stuff like that. good luck in your pruning im sure you will have a great weekend.

[HLS]

Peapod: try ringing the estate agents?  They would probably officially have to get permission from the owners for you to go round and prune, but you could definitely argue that it's in their interests to have the garden looking neater for potential buyers.

[peapod]

Peapod: try ringing the estate agents?  They would probably officially have to get permission from the owners for you to go round and prune, but you could definitely argue that it's in their interests to have the garden looking neater for potential buyers.

Excellent idea HLS. I know the owner has recently had a bad stroke, and after renting it out to his son hes no energy for the place. I may just pop a note through the door too, as his wife bobs up now and again
Thanks!