Is it culinary bay or just an evergreen laurel? If it's the latter it will, in my experience, grow even bigger and faster after being pruned. It also just sits there all year being a big dark green blob so I agree with WE and Dove. Out with it and plant something interesting that's more attractive for you and for wildlife.
If it is culinary bay then you can remove the lower branches up to head or shoulder height and also reduce the mass of the remaining stem and its branches. Then you can remove any sucketing stems, improve teh soil at the base and plant some bulbs and perennials to give you a gretaer season of interest. Save any wood you cut for adding to BBQs next summer as they will flavour your food.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I'm with Wild Edges and Dovefromabove. Cut it down and replace with something more attractive and more in keeping with the size of the garden and the position. I had a large bay removed and although I regretted destroying the habitat for birds it gave me so much more light. You need to get rid of as much of the root ball as you can or else you will have lots of new growth coming up from the roots. If you only trim it or cut it in half it will look horrible in my opinion.
I cut mine down and it sprouted out fron the base of the stem, i wouldn't be without it, blackbirds nest in it, it gives solid protection from the weather and it smells gorgeous, I like to snap a leaf off as I pass by it. If you cut it level with the fence it will grow back nicely. What would your next door neighbour like you to do with it? Seems most of it is in their garden.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Posts
If it is culinary bay then you can remove the lower branches up to head or shoulder height and also reduce the mass of the remaining stem and its branches. Then you can remove any sucketing stems, improve teh soil at the base and plant some bulbs and perennials to give you a gretaer season of interest. Save any wood you cut for adding to BBQs next summer as they will flavour your food.
If you cut it level with the fence it will grow back nicely.
What would your next door neighbour like you to do with it? Seems most of it is in their garden.