Trees growing in neighbour's garden spreading into ours...

Abbafan1972

I agree with knocking on the door first rather than sending a note. Notes can be taken all different ways. 

GrubbyGirl_2

Emily_Joy said:

During the past few weeks we haven't seen neighbours leaving their house. I am not sure they are able to leave the house unassisted, or get down to the road. There is quite a few steps between the road and their front door. Then even more steps to get to our front door. I also heard one day they were talking to someone using hearing aid of some kind. It seems to me they are vulnerable and may not wish to talk to strangers, but we will try - starting with a friendly handwritten note.

Would you be willing to help them with their garden?  I know that's a lot to ask but you'll get the benefit too.  Sounds like they are vulnerable and can't do it themselves.  Maybe if you sort your side out and they see it looking nice they would be willing to let you help them? 

We have neighbours who are old and frail and one has dementia.  All the neighbours muck in to keep their garden tidy and to be honest it's great for us neighbours too as we all know we can get help if we need it.

Emily_Joy

Richard1212 said:

There's something nice about part of a garden being wild and overgrown---especially in a very large garden ( we have always kept "wild" parts and I like some of the photos in this case). 

But to be sensible and practical, in a normal size garden and given the state of the fences since you hacked a lot of growth away, I suppose you have to resolve the present situation. Other forumites have already said what needs to be said: you can cut anything overhanging or encroaching over your boundary on your side.

But the first course, instead of this forum, is to talk to your neighbours. It's just so obvious. I bet they haven't seen those parts of their garden for years and I can't see any reason why they'd object to you tidying up fences and cutting back trees/plants/ivy on your side of the boundary. I think a handwritten note pushed under their door has pro's and con's. It might frighten or worry them, especially if vulnerable and frail if faced with a letter which talks about problems regarding their garden, no matter how carefully you word it. Why not knock on the door as surely as other people must do from time to time eg workmen, deliverymen, friends, doctors, etc-----and then say hello as new neighbours and asking them to let you know if you can ever be of assistance etc ; and get to the garden aspect as a passing remark such as " Is it OK with you if we clear away some of the plants that have grown over the boundary and tidy up fences, without disturbing you and without causing any damage to your boundary or encroaching on to your garden at all"  -----and make it all very low key. 

I am not sure whether our garden is normal size or not it has three tiers and this is just a small-ish part of the first of them. We like it this way very much, though frankly prefer raspberries over ferns! (The ones in the pic were just transferred from our old home).

I will of course talk to neighbours - but I do know that I can be a little bit hot-headed, so I need to investigate situation further and get a better idea of what grows where, make some sort of a plan and calm down. Before I cut some of vegetation on our part it was not clear to me that the trees actually in their territory. Priority at the moment is to make sure that nothing suddenly falls on my head, like that trellis yesterday. 

twopenny

Always worth talking to neighbours. You often learn a lot about your property which is helpful.
I'm sure they would appreciate knowing what you are doing rather than hearing a lot of noise and worrying.

Start with cutting back the ivy scenario, and a new fence needs to go in. Explain that they may see and hear a lot of activity.
Could you print some photos to show them? Just onto copy paper so they could see for themselves.
It would give them something to talk about and understand.

Who knows, they may be thrilled with a new fence. Also chance for you to see their side properly.
Without going into the whole doing their garden thing I wonder if there's a space/patio outside a door you could clear so they could sit out if they wanted to. But that's further down the line. 

Richard1212

Emily_Joy said:

Richard1212 said:

There's something nice about part of a garden being wild and overgrown---especially in a very large garden ( we have always kept "wild" parts and I like some of the photos in this case). 

But to be sensible and practical, in a normal size garden and given the state of the fences since you hacked a lot of growth away, I suppose you have to resolve the present situation. Other forumites have already said what needs to be said: you can cut anything overhanging or encroaching over your boundary on your side.

But the first course, instead of this forum, is to talk to your neighbours. It's just so obvious. I bet they haven't seen those parts of their garden for years and I can't see any reason why they'd object to you tidying up fences and cutting back trees/plants/ivy on your side of the boundary. I think a handwritten note pushed under their door has pro's and con's. It might frighten or worry them, especially if vulnerable and frail if faced with a letter which talks about problems regarding their garden, no matter how carefully you word it. Why not knock on the door as surely as other people must do from time to time eg workmen, deliverymen, friends, doctors, etc-----and then say hello as new neighbours and asking them to let you know if you can ever be of assistance etc ; and get to the garden aspect as a passing remark such as " Is it OK with you if we clear away some of the plants that have grown over the boundary and tidy up fences, without disturbing you and without causing any damage to your boundary or encroaching on to your garden at all"  -----and make it all very low key. 

I am not sure whether our garden is normal size or not it has three tiers and this is just a small-ish part of the first of them. We like it this way very much, though frankly prefer raspberries over ferns! (The ones in the pic were just transferred from our old home).

I will of course talk to neighbours - but I do know that I can be a little bit hot-headed, so I need to investigate situation further and get a better idea of what grows where, make some sort of a plan and calm down. Before I cut some of vegetation on our part it was not clear to me that the trees actually in their territory. Priority at the moment is to make sure that nothing suddenly falls on my head, like that trellis yesterday. 

I refer to only one small reference in your post-----the one about being "a bit hot-headed". First, there's no reason for hot-headedness in the current scenario you paint. Second, you surely do not feel angry about the present position. Third, it would be dreadful to get hot-headed with an elderly frail couple whose life is probably nearly over ----and which can be brought to a much more sudden end if they are confronted by any sort of angry or confrontational behaviour.

But you know all this, and I'm sure you will have no problem in showing kindness and understanding when you finally get round to having a pleasant chat with your neighbours who sound pretty brave to still be living independently after what might be a VERY long life and marriage.
Good luck with the chat and I hope you get on well with the neighbours and tidy up your garden just as you wish. And have a very happy time in your new home. 

subjecttocontract

I'm not sure what you are asking for from this forum. Surely before you bought the property you looked at it, including the garden with a view to its size and any work that might be needed ? If it's overgrown cut it back.....nobody is going to do it for you unless you get a gardener in to do the work. 

Emily_Joy

@Richard1212 I have absolutely nothing against the elderly couple. In fact I smile every time I look at their garden in front of the house with a little pond but no gold fish, I believe But I am irritated by carelessness of the previous owners (I am sure every temporary solutions designed to fail has a good excuse), trains that being cancelled or delayed every now and then (I agree the rail workers have rights to strike), and so on . Perhaps I will bake a cake for the neighbours to take around - baking always cheers me up.

twopenny

You may be surprised. My neighbour is mid 80s with diabetes and cancer, can hardly walk
 but sharp as a tack and given much good advice and lent me things to improve my garden 
Another in her 80s is up ladders to trim her hedge first thing.
Where the youngster in the road sits indoors, windows closed, watching tv.
Lifes interesting 

Like the idea of a cake. Wish someone would do that for me!

Emily_Joy

@twopenny Not surprised at all. My Father is in his mid 80s now. He went up the ladder all way to the roof this summer to work on electric cables supplying electricity to his house. He used to be an electrical engineer.

Jonboy_1984

The good thing about ivy is that once you start cutting it back you get a very quick result because it has a lot of leaf volume and not much real substance. You can do a lot with almost any handsaw and a pair of shears, or the cheapest nastiest hedge trimmer you can get your hands on.

The bit growing up the wall will be frustrating, as it sticks like mad to the bricks and the fine tendrils don’t come away.

Always wear gloves as some types can irritate.

I have just cleared a load overhanging flower beds and I leaned a couple of poles at a 45 degree angle between the wall and ground and layer a tarpaulin over them. All the cuttings slid down and made clean up really easy.