Had a similar issue with our neighbours, I adore my privacy and surrounded on all sides by conifers the garden is my haven. Our neighbour decided to cut my conifer next to house and chomped it down by at least 3 feet I was devastated. Luckily we caught him in the act and after a discussion he agreed to leave it to us to cut and keep within control and was happy about it as one less job for himself.
Trouble is - you cannot choose neighbours unfortunatelly.... A woman that was my neighbour but has now left, hacked down all the trees in her garden when see came here, was such a shame.
Excellent advice from everyone here especially obelixx with the feed info. Will definitely do the feed. Im going to trim the top of the rest of hedge myself to neaten it up and see how it looks. I cant take it as low as the neighbour did cause we are in a bungalow and will be overlooked by our neighbours if I do. I really appreciate all your responses. Thank you all.
what a cheek!! you poor thing. Trees sound like a good idea, too - sounds like the more foliage you can put in between you and your neighbour, the better.
it does sound like they were taking advantage of the empty property so hopefully this won't be an ongoing war between you.
That was obviously a very tall hedge and it would have had a real impact on the neighbours' garden - in the interest of everyone's happiness and enjoyment of their own garden, it would be good to come to an agreement that the hedge is trimmed to a 'happy medium' that is acceptable to both.
It's amazing how quickly the feeling of 'being overlooked' fades when you get used to a new home, and good neighbours are worth their weight in gold.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
We are a cluster of only 18 properties on a narrow country lane with plenty of sunshine to all aspects of our gardens. Our neighbour also has an allotment nearby. Where the sun rises and falls does not cast any shade on his garden from our hedge. He has plenty of his own trees that do that. I was very amicable with him and his wife and ended up shaking hands with them after all said and done. I really am not happy about what he did and he knows that. He also now knows that I have a man that comes to trim all the hedges surrounding my detached property and will be doing so in the very near future.
Good advice from obelixx Barber - in a couple of months your hedge will almost be back to normal as it's well established. I sympathise enormously and I think you've done the right thing by addressing it without any falling out. Your neighbour now knows where he stands. It seems an odd thing for him to do if there's no shade being cast on his own garden. Naughty of him anyway. Hopefully things will settle and he doesn't do anything similar in future.
Meant to add - it might be easier to erect a screen near your daughter's window as a temporary measure rather than try to screen the gap. I understand your feelings there - I have two girls (one just that age) Some tall annuals on canes in a large pot would do the job or even some of that bamboo on a roll attached to a couple of posts pushed into the ground if that's feasible - just to make her feel secure.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My new neighbour has just hacked her own garden to pieces and now all that is left is one lawn, completely bare borders and an old ceanothus which looks like its about to drop dead any second. Before, the garden was full of plants and also lots of wildlife. She even hacks (literally), anything that is growing up from another neighbours gardens on their garage, but she took umbridge to it, because it seemed the only crime was that she could see it from her back door! When she cut back all the climbers in her garden that cascaded over the back fence into my garden, she simply hacked it at the top of the fence and left me to clear up everything that landed on my side. No coming around and offering to take her dead plant cuttings away. Anyway, as one door closes another one opens. Its allowed me to plant a large bamboo and a Rowen tree and do something with an overgrown / messy border, whilst also allowing more light into my garden. Although annoying that I've lost a bit of privacy, I'm thinking it is only for a short time, and then my stuff will grow and fill the gaps. In the meantime, whenever I go into my back garden and before I leave, I've taken to waving at her bedroom window that overlooks the back of my house. Already caught her twice staring at me whilst I work in my garden. Is she jealous or making plans to jump over the fence and hack my garden to pieces too! Now't so queer as folk!
Posts
Had a similar issue with our neighbours, I adore my privacy and surrounded on all sides by conifers the garden is my haven. Our neighbour decided to cut my conifer next to house and chomped it down by at least 3 feet I was devastated. Luckily we caught him in the act and after a discussion he agreed to leave it to us to cut and keep within control and was happy about it as one less job for himself.
Trouble is - you cannot choose neighbours unfortunatelly.... A woman that was my neighbour but has now left, hacked down all the trees in her garden when see came here, was such a shame.
Excellent advice from everyone here especially obelixx with the feed info. Will definitely do the feed. Im going to trim the top of the rest of hedge myself to neaten it up and see how it looks. I cant take it as low as the neighbour did cause we are in a bungalow and will be overlooked by our neighbours if I do. I really appreciate all your responses. Thank you all.
what a cheek!! you poor thing. Trees sound like a good idea, too - sounds like the more foliage you can put in between you and your neighbour, the better.
it does sound like they were taking advantage of the empty property so hopefully this won't be an ongoing war between you.
That was obviously a very tall hedge and it would have had a real impact on the neighbours' garden - in the interest of everyone's happiness and enjoyment of their own garden, it would be good to come to an agreement that the hedge is trimmed to a 'happy medium' that is acceptable to both.
It's amazing how quickly the feeling of 'being overlooked' fades when you get used to a new home, and good neighbours are worth their weight in gold.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Compromise and a bottle of wine seems the best route.
On the other hand, he had no right to cut your hedge. Perhaps he could have greeted you with a bottle of wine and a polite request.
Good advice from obelixx Barber - in a couple of months your hedge will almost be back to normal as it's well established. I sympathise enormously and I think you've done the right thing by addressing it without any falling out. Your neighbour now knows where he stands. It seems an odd thing for him to do if there's no shade being cast on his own garden. Naughty of him anyway. Hopefully things will settle and he doesn't do anything similar in future.
Meant to add - it might be easier to erect a screen near your daughter's window as a temporary measure rather than try to screen the gap. I understand your feelings there - I have two girls (one just that age) Some tall annuals on canes in a large pot would do the job or even some of that bamboo on a roll attached to a couple of posts pushed into the ground if that's feasible - just to make her feel secure.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Glad it's all been resolved amicably
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
My new neighbour has just hacked her own garden to pieces and now all that is left is one lawn, completely bare borders and an old ceanothus which looks like its about to drop dead any second. Before, the garden was full of plants and also lots of wildlife. She even hacks (literally), anything that is growing up from another neighbours gardens on their garage, but she took umbridge to it, because it seemed the only crime was that she could see it from her back door! When she cut back all the climbers in her garden that cascaded over the back fence into my garden, she simply hacked it at the top of the fence and left me to clear up everything that landed on my side. No coming around and offering to take her dead plant cuttings away. Anyway, as one door closes another one opens. Its allowed me to plant a large bamboo and a Rowen tree and do something with an overgrown / messy border, whilst also allowing more light into my garden. Although annoying that I've lost a bit of privacy, I'm thinking it is only for a short time, and then my stuff will grow and fill the gaps. In the meantime, whenever I go into my back garden and before I leave, I've taken to waving at her bedroom window that overlooks the back of my house. Already caught her twice staring at me whilst I work in my garden. Is she jealous or making plans to jump over the fence and hack my garden to pieces too! Now't so queer as folk!