Bramble trouble

Crisp_£_note

Also posted on the Greenfinger board but posting here too as is for family (hope that's ok) ....

Hi im asking as my Mam needs advice.

Her neighbour has thick bramble and thorny type bushes overgrowing into her property. She has asked him to cut them back but as yet he hasn't done so. My Mam is unable to tackle the task herself. She has tried to prune the branches but being in her 70's and in poor health it's clearly a job too hard to handle.

Me and my brother don't live local to her to help.

How does she deal with this issue can she just apply some industrial weedkiller or ask the council for help as before long these hardy brambles will be running wild in her garden too and to be honest knowing her neighbour he's unlikely to care as he doesn't now.

Thanks

Barny1979

If your Mother and Neighbour privately own their properties, the council will not get involved.

Horace

I would be contacting the council for help. If she applied weedkiller herself (not that weedkiller works that well on brambles) then she could find herself in trouble because the neighbour could claim she is damaging his property.

tanith

We had the same problem with neighbours over the back, someone cut them back but we aren't sure if it were council workmen or the neighbour who was prompted by the council.. We e-mailed the council about the problem and 3 wks later the problem was dealt with.

pogofish

Also remember that he might be thinking on using the berries for jam/wine etc. So using weedkiller/chemicals etc without warning him could have rather unexpected/unpleasant consequences! :eek:

Never mind that brambles are tough - and whilst weedkiller might do for them one season, the chances are they will be back and blooming as strongly as ever the very next year!

Counting_Pennies_2

If they are hanging over into her garden, then she has the right to cut them down.


If she is unable to cut them, and the neighbour is not able to for whatever reason, then she needs to ask someone or pay someone to do it.


It is essentially gardening, so it would come under any normal routine of gardening. If she is unable to garden, what would she do?

BigAunty

Some councils or charities operate basic handyman/gardening services for vulnerable residents. Check if they are any in her area.

I don't know the rules for all areas in the UK but where I live, the council make clear that if there is overhanging a boundary fence or wall, that household can cut it down on their side. My previous neighbour used to lop back my fern branches and honeysuckle coming into her garden - no issues about this.

It's probably a courtesy for the neighbour to keep the shrubbery in trim but not a legal requirement since she's free to sort it out on her side anyway. But your council might have some info published about her rights and options.

FatVonD

You absolutely cannot use industrial-strength weedkiller as that would kill it at the root which is on the neighbour's property.

You can, as has been advised above, cut it back as far as the boundary line but the bits you cut off belong to the neighbour so should, theoretically, be returned.

j.e.j.

She should get it cut back (or just pinch the berries and make them into a crumble )

Mojisola

BigAunty wrote: »

Some councils or charities operate basic handyman/gardening services for vulnerable residents. Check if they are any in her area.

AgeUK run similar services as well.

Crisp_£_note

Thanks for the replies. I will contact her local council and age uk see if I can source the local hany-care people for her. The neighbour doesn't care for much unless it suits him and his dog he's a bit of a hoarder so its no surprise his garden and property is not kept to at least a basic standard and in his defence they do live on the side of a mountain in the valleys so the brambles are naturally rambly but I wouldn't recommend picking and eating the berries myself.