Talkback: Gardening disputes between neighbours

Gardeners' World Web User

Wasn't the 'High Hedges Act' (actually part of the Anti Social Beehaviour Act) supposed to outlaw hedges over 2m if they cause a loss of amenity to neighbours??
I think first port of call (if rasonable negotiations fail) is to the council and they should intervene. I stand to be corrected but last time I checked this, this was the case.
Ian

Gardeners' World Web User

The high hedges act is a joke. Been trying to get our council to take action against the neighbours at the back of the garden for months. Why should we have to stump up the cost of the council's investigation? Needless to say the neighbours won't cut it themselves. They 'enjoy the privacy'.

Gardeners' World Web User

My problem is the neighbour's eucalyptus tree. It's huge! It blocks out all the light to my south-facing garden and drops its b****y leaves all over my lawn. Council can't do anything because it's not a hedge. Neighbours are happy to see it go but I have to pay for it. No compromise. We used to get on really well but I just can't get on with them now. So inconsidereate.

Gardeners' World Web User

which council are you in Matty?

Gardeners' World Web User

I have a leylandii hedge at the bottom of my garden it was a source of some dispute between the people who used to live in my property and the owners of the leylandii , since the owners of the said leylandii did not do any thing regarding trimming i took it upon myself to keep it trimmed , armed with some long branch loppers i would trim all the leaders out thus keeping hedge within a limit of common sense but my neighbour caught me last week doing my regular trim and immediatley went on the attack, i keeping my calm pointed out to her that the law states that the max height for these hedges is 6foot 6 inches and that she nor i wanted that height and that all i wanted to avoid was the hedge getting out of control so it would cost her money to have it trimmed, after i had been scolded for not asking her permission to carry out the trim she gave her permission to carry on, i might add that all the trimmings were in my garden and desposed of by me

Gardeners' World Web User

My neighbours walked the full length of my L shaped lawn trudging their stuff in when they moved in and now they and their guests regularly walk across my front lawn or use my driveway for her guests cars. Its selfish behaviour and shouldn't need pointing out.

Gardeners' World Web User

My neighbour grows ivy through the fence and has already killed 4 trees! no matter what I plant in that area is going to be killed off! Any ideas? Wish there could be something I could spray against the fence to prevent it growing through!

Gardeners' World Web User

This whole area is tricky, the best idea throughout is to be reasonable - th difficulty is everyone construes 'reasonable' differently. I have black bamboo that for sheer growing speed outclasses leylandii - it can hit two vertical metres in a month - however isn't close to the density of Leylandii.

M

Gardeners' World Web User

How about wind chimes ? They sound awful. I like to enjoy the natural sound of my garden not have to endure something which sounds like a random playing of a xylophone (badly) and to have to put up with it endlessly. People don't realise that they are also imposing their wind chimes on their neighbours when they put them up.

Gardeners' World Web User

Wind chimes is an interesting one, GH, that could irritate me too. I like bamboo, Michael_McK, but am wary of growing it as it is so hard to remove once you have it. My neighbours throw their cigarette butts in to my garden. It drives me round the bend!

Gardeners' World Web User

The previous owners of my property liked privacy...I'm just digging out the last stump & roots of the 29th Leylandii which surrounded the garden. It's been a four year mission as most of the trees were 30 ft plus. I felt so sorry for the neighbours as they hadn't seen the sun for about 15 years!