The problem with growing 'stinky plants' is you need to check the prevailing wind direction in your garden. If it comes from your noisy neighbour's direction towards you then it's likely to be you that is going indoors on a nice sunny day. I would advise against starting an unpleasant war with the neighbour as it is usually the inconsiderate ones who win.
One way of subtly bringing their attention to the problem is for you to be having a discussion loudly enough to be overheard over the fence all about what your noisy neighbour has recently been saying & using as much personal information gained from their own chatter as possible. This is most likely to bring a complaint about 'listening in on other peoples conversations' to which you could profusely apologise for but add that their discussions were so loud & clear that it wasn't possible to ignore it. Maybe if they toned the volume down a bit the sound wouldn't carry.
Perhaps Rodgy has inherited Wintersong's ex neighbour! But I feel for you Rodgy, had one of those when we had a chalet on a campsite, you could hear her all over the campsite. Fortunately we sold it, now someone else can have the pleasure!
A brick wall should do the trick (needs to be a minimum of one brick length thick), then just grow ivy up the side of it to soften one the sound and two the straight lines of the brick wall. Have a chat with a local builder - see what they suggest. If you have the chat outside right next to the fence - they might take offence and move. Why not have a sonic cat deterrent or two (at slightly different frequencies) that happen to be pointing at the fence .....
I've just re-read this thread...maybe you should just move. Your garden is much-loved I'm sure, but making a new one is very exciting. Pick a nice quiet area and have a nice life. Others on here are right, falling out with your neighbours is very stressful, if you can afford to move then do it. If not, then go with Andy's suggestion, make another seating area at the other end of the garden. The brick wall and ivy also sounds good. At the end of the day, only you can decide what your priorities are. Good luck.
Maybe rather than the Gob getting on your nerves you could find a bit of mirth in it ? Admittedly it will be hard.
Our friends let us use their mountain village house in Greece each year and the neighbours are anything but quiet, I think they are all deaf. Don't bother going outside to have a chat just yell from inside their houses to a few doors down. Initially it made me jump and then wound me up, especially when I was still in bed. If we dare make a noise we are the talk of the village. I was in bother because my suitcase was on wheels and I made a noise arriving at 6am.
Now we understand more Greek and can get the gist of what is being shouted ( rather than thinking someone was being murdered) we mimic them and continue the conversation between ourselves. Usually daft nonsense. We even guess who is plodding past as I think most have flat feet as well. When a debate?? !! occurs we bet who will have the last word. Because so many share the same christian names we have knicknames for the people we know. Maybe coming up with different names for her next door each time she starts up might be fun, imagine you are calling her it.
Are we childish or what?
Well it is a small, uneventful village but we love it. The people are mostly lovely but just on the loud side.
The wind chime's a great idea. If they say something to you about it you caould always say 'well we didn't really want to hear about Aunt Jean's varicose veins and Uncle Fred's latest operation but it was a bit hard not to' !!
Is she like Margo from The Good LIfe? You can always call her that in private
Seriously, I'd hate to think you'd have to rearrange your garden just because of someone else's inconsiderate behaviour.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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The problem with growing 'stinky plants' is you need to check the prevailing wind direction in your garden. If it comes from your noisy neighbour's direction towards you then it's likely to be you that is going indoors on a nice sunny day. I would advise against starting an unpleasant war with the neighbour as it is usually the inconsiderate ones who win.
One way of subtly bringing their attention to the problem is for you to be having a discussion loudly enough to be overheard over the fence all about what your noisy neighbour has recently been saying & using as much personal information gained from their own chatter as possible. This is most likely to bring a complaint about 'listening in on other peoples conversations' to which you could profusely apologise for but add that their discussions were so loud & clear that it wasn't possible to ignore it. Maybe if they toned the volume down a bit the sound wouldn't carry.
Perhaps Rodgy has inherited Wintersong's ex neighbour!
But I feel for you Rodgy, had one of those when we had a chalet on a campsite, you could hear her all over the campsite. Fortunately we sold it, now someone else can have the pleasure!
A brick wall should do the trick (needs to be a minimum of one brick length thick), then just grow ivy up the side of it to soften one the sound and two the straight lines of the brick wall. Have a chat with a local builder - see what they suggest. If you have the chat outside right next to the fence - they might take offence and move. Why not have a sonic cat deterrent or two (at slightly different frequencies) that happen to be pointing at the fence .....
I've just re-read this thread...maybe you should just move. Your garden is much-loved I'm sure, but making a new one is very exciting. Pick a nice quiet area and have a nice life. Others on here are right, falling out with your neighbours is very stressful, if you can afford to move then do it. If not, then go with Andy's suggestion, make another seating area at the other end of the garden. The brick wall and ivy also sounds good. At the end of the day, only you can decide what your priorities are. Good luck.
A water feature with running water is good at drowning out noise but may have to be quite powerful to drown out a loud voice.
Maybe rather than the Gob getting on your nerves you could find a bit of mirth in it ? Admittedly it will be hard.
Our friends let us use their mountain village house in Greece each year and the neighbours are anything but quiet, I think they are all deaf. Don't bother going outside to have a chat just yell from inside their houses to a few doors down. Initially it made me jump and then wound me up, especially when I was still in bed. If we dare make a noise we are the talk of the village. I was in bother because my suitcase was on wheels and I made a noise arriving at 6am.
Now we understand more Greek and can get the gist of what is being shouted ( rather than thinking someone was being murdered) we mimic them and continue the conversation between ourselves. Usually daft nonsense. We even guess who is plodding past as I think most have flat feet as well. When a debate?? !! occurs we bet who will have the last word. Because so many share the same christian names we have knicknames for the people we know. Maybe coming up with different names for her next door each time she starts up might be fun, imagine you are calling her it.
Are we childish or what?
Well it is a small, uneventful village but we love it. The people are mostly lovely but just on the loud side.
I wish you luck.
The wind chime's a great idea. If they say something to you about it you caould always say 'well we didn't really want to hear about Aunt Jean's varicose veins and Uncle Fred's latest operation but it was a bit hard not to' !!
Is she like Margo from The Good LIfe? You can always call her that in private
Seriously, I'd hate to think you'd have to rearrange your garden just because of someone else's inconsiderate behaviour.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I rather like Margo - I know OH does
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
So do I Dove - but I can just hear her saying 'Gerry...' in that piercing cut glass voice !! Brilliant.
Your OH - too much info...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...