The hedge!!

[NatalieCooke]

I need a moan.
We have a hedge belonging to next doors. I hate it. It runs all the way down the left side of the garden.

Last Friday I'm in the garden sieving soil for our new flower boarder. When the neighbour walks into our garden! Starts to talk about cutting the top of the hedges. I told him once I was finished sieving the soil I would do it. Sieving took longer then we thought, so I didn't get around to cutting it. Last night the OH dug up the last of the soil that need sieving into buckets for me to do today. Again the neighbour came around again to tell him about cutting the hedge. The OH tells him thing same thing.

This morning I'm sitting sieving the soil when next doors start to cut the hedge. He leans right over to cut the hedge on our side. So all the cuttings fall onto my nice soil.
I could have cried!

He's a really nosy neighbour. He just walks around into the garden dropping hints on things he doesn't like about the garden. He came around the other day to tell us we had more flies in our garden then him!!

Sorry for going on.

[dim]

you obviously did not get the hint the 1st time

your neighbour wants a neat hedge .... seems like you are supposed to cut the top? ...

you failed to do so in reasonable time, then the neighbour asked again, and you promised to do it ...

so.... the neighbour got fed up and done it himself

if your neighbour 'hinted' that you have more flies than him, he may be trying to tell you to wash your bins as they breed and attract flies (do you wash your bins?)... or is there an area in your garden attracting flies?

if you lived next door to me .... I would most probably be the same as your neighbour .,...

[Nicos]

I can see you would be upset.

Maybe it's a damage limitation situation now?

You could thank him for doing it but explain why you had postponed doing it - and if he's so nosy you could show him how it's affected your soil and explain what and why you were doing it...and could he please let you know in advance the next time so you can protect it as you REALLY are trying to make it as lovely as his ( * cross yr fingers at this point cos I imagine you want it waaaay better than his???)

Cor- sorry, that was a VERY long sentance!

Many thanks to him again for helping you out..and promise to do it next time you both feel it's getting unruly .

Well- there's an idea perhaps???

I think he was really just trying to be helpful- but in the wrong sort of way

[Nicos]

Different peeps, different views...we're all different.

[Kirk]

From your first post you say:

We have a hedge belonging to next doors. I hate it.

So it is his/their hedge, why were you going to cut their hedge, leave them to do it, especially as you say you hate it.

I am not sure why he wants you to cut his hedge anyway.
Why did you half volunteer?
Just tell him to cut the thing, preferably to ground level, or below.

[Alison]

From your first post you say:

So it is his/their hedge, why were you going to cut their hedge, leave them to do it, especially as you say you hate it.

I am not sure why he wants you to cut his hedge anyway.
Why did you half volunteer?
Just tell him to cut the thing, preferably to ground level, or below.

That confused me too, I'd let them do it if it's that urgent to them although I wouldn't be happy about all the mess they'd made.

[Alison]

you obviously did not get the hint the 1st time

your neighbour wants a neat hedge .... seems like you are supposed to cut the top? ...

you failed to do so in reasonable time, then the neighbour asked again, and you promised to do it ...

so.... the neighbour got fed up and done it himself

if your neighbour 'hinted' that you have more flies than him, he may be trying to tell you to wash your bins as they breed and attract flies (do you wash your bins?)... or is there an area in your garden attracting flies?

if you lived next door to me .... I would most probably be the same as your neighbour .,...

Blimey, that's a bit strong, thankfully our neighbours aren't judgemental and we live and let live, especially when so many things don't really matter.

[dim]

Blimey, that's a bit strong, thankfully our neighbours aren't judgemental and we live and let live, especially when so many things don't really matter.

LOL .... just winding the OP ....

if the hedge belongs to the neighbour, it's the neighbours job to cut it

you can however trim the top and the side in your property if a hedge belongs to your neighbour, but with mutual consent (i.e. if the hedge is 6 foot tall, don't trim it to 3 foot tall without asking permission first)

hedge law also states that all clippings should be thrown back into the property of the person who owns the hedge, but most people just sort it themselves

and from this site:
The RSPB: Advice: The law and garden hedges

quote:
A joint responsibilty
A boundary hedge is usually the joint responsibility of both neighbours. Both must agree on major work, including removal, coppicing or laying.

In theory, you need your neighbours' agreement even before trimming the hedge. If the hedge is just inside your neighbours' garden, they own it; you only have the right to trim any part that encroaches over your boundary line. Your neighbour should ask for your permission for access to trim the hedge on your property.

Regardless of ownership, no-one can trim or cut a hedge if the action damages active birds' nests, and hence violates the Wildlife and Countryside Act. If tall hedges or trees put your garden in the shade, you can cut off branches that overhang your boundary.

You can also prune back roots that that invade your property, even if this is detrimental to the plant. You do not have the right to cut down vegetation on your neighbours' property, or apply weedkiller to destroy the plants.

[veggiechicken]

LOL .... just winding the OP ....

Why?....................

[Bigmallly]

The trouble with neighbours is that you can't avoid them, I would agree with Nic in that a thank you may be in order but explain why you didn't get round to cutting it. As for the flies, thank him for bringing it to your attention & tell him you'll look into it............don't go looking for a fight as it could escalate.

[NatalieCooke]

you obviously did not get the hint the 1st time

your neighbour wants a neat hedge .... seems like you are supposed to cut the top? ...

you failed to do so in reasonable time, then the neighbour asked again, and you promised to do it ...

so.... the neighbour got fed up and done it himself

if your neighbour 'hinted' that you have more flies than him, he may be trying to tell you to wash your bins as they breed and attract flies (do you wash your bins?)... or is there an area in your garden attracting flies?

if you lived next door to me .... I would most probably be the same as your neighbour .,...

I wasn't quite expecting that comment!

1: I told him we would cut the hedge once we had finished what we are working on - we still haven't finished yet as it's taking a long time. The area of soil I'm working on is about 60ft long & 4ft wide (right next to the hedge). The soil is full of old ivy roots, conifer roots and weeds so it's taken us a long time to dig out all the roots and pebbles and sieve the soil to get a good quality finish, so we don't really want hedge clippings messing it up.

2: The bins are no where near the garden, they're around the front of the house. We don't put any waste food in our our wheelie bins as we have separate bins for that where we live, so there's never any smell. The flies I was talking about were a swarm of little nats in the centre of the lawn, so no-where near anything with any potential odour.

3: I did cut the hedge only a few weeks ago, but with the warm weather its since grown back, but we haven't cut it for the reasons explained in point 1.

[Bigmallly]

You haven't done anything wrong Natalie............Just tell your neighbour you would appreciate it if he did not encroach on your garden without speaking to you first. Your priorities come before his.

[ButternutSquash]

I need a moan.
We have a hedge belonging to next doors. I hate it. It runs all the way down the left side of the garden.

Last Friday I'm in the garden sieving soil for our new flower boarder. When the neighbour walks into our garden! Starts to talk about cutting the top of the hedges. I told him once I was finished sieving the soil I would do it. Sieving took longer then we thought, so I didn't get around to cutting it. Last night the OH dug up the last of the soil that need sieving into buckets for me to do today. Again the neighbour came around again to tell him about cutting the hedge. The OH tells him thing same thing.

This morning I'm sitting sieving the soil when next doors start to cut the hedge. He leans right over to cut the hedge on our side. So all the cuttings fall onto my nice soil.
I could have cried!

He's a really nosy neighbour. He just walks around into the garden dropping hints on things he doesn't like about the garden. He came around the other day to tell us we had more flies in our garden then him!!

Sorry for going on.

I would be tempted to write him a polite but firm letter, explaining that there is no legal obligation on you to trim the hedge, and that he has no right to expect you to jump to attention as and when he sees fit. Explain that you have jobs to attend to that are more iimportant than doing as instructed by him. And I'd tell him that you do not like him coming into your garden dropping hints, it shows a lack of manners on his part. And explain that his cutting trimmings that fell on your sieved soil has caused you problems, and upset, and it shows a lack of consideration for others on his part. As long as you keep it polite, it might sink in. It sounds like he is not mean, just pompous and lacking consideration, a little bit of a bully..

[Alison]

I would be tempted to write him a polite but firm letter, explaining that there is no legal obligation on you to trim the hedge, and that he has no right to expect you to jump to attention as and when he sees fit. Explain that you have jobs to attend to that are more iimportant than doing as instructed by him. And I'd tell him that you do not like him coming into your garden dropping hints, it shows a lack of manners on his part. And explain that his cutting trimmings that fell on your sieved soil has caused you problems, and upset, and it shows a lack of consideration for others on his part. As long as you keep it polite, it might sink in. It sounds like he is not mean, just pompous and lacking consideration, a little bit of a bully..

I think there is some good advice here in pointing these things out but please don't go into writing, things stand a real risk of escalating from there and it's obviously better if you can be cordial as neighbours. Pretty much every disagreement I've encountered can be at least reduced by good old fashioned talking, not always easy but, unless there is a real risk of violence then face to face is always best.

[Alison]

LOL .... just winding the OP ....

Don't understand why anybody would do that (did you really laugh out loud?) but if you really want to then can you make it clear at the time that you're joking as your post comes across as rather rude and arrogant and I'm sure that isn't what you intended.