Fuming with neighbour. Need to vent.

I appreciate that it is just a hedge. But I know that it wont grow bak after this hacking. My brothers a gardener and he advised against such treatment of it. So No for the next 3 years I am going to be sat in my back garden with them stareing straight through! Im just so mad and now theres nothing I can do about it. Our neighbours on the otherside recently had a new fence up, but it wasnt painted. Ive been and asked it I could paint our side and they have said its fine, so why couldnt my neighbour just ask me before killing the hedge!

My neighbours recently got evicted from their property for a number of reasons such as loads of partying, loud music, chanting at like 2am, revving cars around the area at 2am etc.

They were always really polite to us in person (couldn't speak much English though) but one night of heavy drinking they thought it would be funny to jump on our fence and knock it completely down. My landlord had to fork out to get a new one as it was apparently on our side so our problem despite the fact they knocked it down (we actually saw them do it was there was a random Polish man laying in my garden on top of it laughing!)

I know how annoying it is having no fence as we had to go without for about 3 months. All of my plants which were down the side got trodden on by them and we felt we had no privacy. We have a sliding patio door so every time they came through their gate they could see into our living room which I hated as well.

I can totally see where you are coming from and understand how frustrating it is. Some people just don't think.

Quick, take some cuttings and grow a new one (I know it will take time but it is free and would be strangely satisfying watching it regenerate)

Im actually really upset by it. I know home ownership involves cost but it really does seem to be one thing after another. We are trying to save for a new boiler as it wont get us through the next winter as well as tring to save for the wedding and now we cant go out and sit in the garden I love my garden, Ive made it really beautiful. I just dont know what to do, I dont want to get in to a dispute with my neighbour but I know there is no way I can talk to them at the moment without screaming at them!

Does this work? Someone at work has suggested planting Lleyandii in its place as its cheap and grows quickly.

I think it is stopping it grow that's the problem! We had some in the old house and it grew huge very quickly!

I would be extremely upset as well but I am not sure what the answer is. Just wanted to let you know that I think you are justified in how you are feeling about it.

Thanks for the support everyone. I am dreading going home now and just seeing the complete devestation but at the same breath I want to rush home just in case he stopped before he went to far and it actually looks ok. I have let it distract me all afternoon now and I just want to know now what I have got to deal with, we were going to have the family over for a BBQ on sunday and I dont feel like I can invite them if we cant have any privacy in our garden. The thing is the guy talks to us all the time to say hello etc so why not just mention something, why wait till he knows we are at work to do it, just why why why. :/

Where abouts in the country are you Daisymoo? We're about to take up all our hedges and put up a fence. If you're localish to us and it's a possibility (I know naff all about gardening i'm afraid) you're welcome to have ours and replant in place of the ones you've lost? We'll have approx 50ft worth and they're about 5ft tall, privet.

We're Essex way if that's any good!

I'd be livid too to be honest. It doesn't matter whether it's a hedge, or a car or something else IMO. If it's yours and it's doing him no harm he should keep his mitts off.

If he has destroyed your hedge on your property not just chopped back what was overhanging his property then it's trespass and potentially criminal damage. Take photographs and go and have a chat with CAB or even your local police. If the hedge was encroaching his space the he is entitled to cut away what is in his space.

leylandii are cheap and grow very quickly. A couple of years and they're make quite a dense hedge but they the take over and need proper car and control.

sounds a nightmare though.

x

/shop/hedging/lonicera-hedging/lonicera-nitida-hedging/

f your neightour has destroyed the hedge then it is their responsibility to replace it. Example above: £50 per 2 foot trough hedge.

Ah thank you but I am based in the Midlands so it might be a tad far to shift some hedges. Thank you fo rthe kind offer though.

I really dont want to have to confront them about it. But then I dont want them to think they can just walk all over us because we are a young couple in our first home. My education is law based, and so in my head I should take them to the small claims court to cover the cost of replacing. But OH will probably think we should just let it go. and we just wont use the garden anymore.

I truly think that for £100 we could get some lleyladii and pop that in its place, and that should solve the problem in a year or so. I will be careful to keep in no higher than the fence (which the exisiting fence wasnt anyway)

I really think you should consider at least threatening them with court action over this. I would be absolutely outraged. It is criminal damage and they bloody well should pay to replace it. With another hedge as well, not the sodding fence they wanted.

I am really angry on your behalf!

Leylandi get wide at the bottom, so when he trims it will be nigh on transparent unless you have a really deep hedge. Also becasue it has wide shallow roots you won't be able to plant near it.

Go for something more mature but with smaller leaves. The one in my link for example is everygreen, good for windy places, and grows 1' a year so a twice yearly regular trim woudl keep it nice.

Ah thank you! Your anger on my behalf makes me feel so justified in being so upset about it. Trust me, if it requires replacing it will not be with a fence. I love all the birds I get nesting (well used to get nesting (!) ) in the hedge chirping away in the morning.

I have a pet rabbit and he was fairly secure in my garden, I will be so worried for him now going forward.

Like I say I just want to get home now and see what I am left with.

I really really wouldn't plant lleylandi it's difficult to keep on top off and the roots spread a long way. It can very easily get out of hand.

OK Thanks Hoely, I just dont know what else is as cheap with equally quick rates of growth.

I really dont want to feel like I cant use my garden because of it. But at the same time I dont want to get in an arguement with anyone.

I dont want my privacy and security to be compromised but I dont want to put up a fence.

I wouldn't plant leilandi... It's a nightmare. If cost of replacing is an issue I'd take it up with the neighbour.

Could you put up some cheap fencing options while you wait for a replacement bush to grow?

Oh my GOD! I would be equally as mad and upset as you are if our neighbours did that to our hedge!

I do think you should speak with them about it, otherwise they will think they have the right to do whatever they want in the future. they have in effect damaged/ destroyed your property, I would at least get them to acknowledge that and request they pay for either a new hedge of equal height and density to be planted (very expensive!) or they pay 100% for a fench to be fitted and then you can grow your own hedge from smaller cuttings whilst still having your privacy

Good Luck anyway!

No problem Daisymoo. If for any reason you're down this way over the next month or so let me know and you're welcome to them.

I'm not in the least bit confrontational so I understand where you're coming from, especially if you're hoping to be living there for a while and don't want to be getting into arguments with neighbours. Unfortunately, sometimes speaking up is the only way

If it's not completely destroyed and he's just got a bit trim happy, could you perhaps pop a note through the door saying that you appreciate him giving the hedge a trim but you're a keen gardener and look forward to have something outdoorsy to do and would prefer to do it yourself? Bit of a nicer, less confrontational way of saying it if you're worried? Although I do think if you're the kind of person who'd just do that to someone elses property, you probably just need telling straight.

If it's completely ruined, I think you'll need to bite the bullet and insist it is replaced.

I really think you need to ask them what they were doing to YOUR property, otherwise what will stop them doing it every time you plant a new hedge? It might not be worth the fort for a small amount of money, but if they are ruining something that is yours, they need to be told to stop. Perhaps make a note and if they do anything else you will evidence to say to them that they did such and such, all damaging your property and it isn't on. I think if you let them walk over you this time they may just keep doing it. I realise how awful it is to bring something negative up with people, but you deserve to not have your property damaged.

Agree with everyone else, i'm raging on your behalf.

Also, isn't it illegal to disturb nesting birds? Really think you should speak to someone about taking action against them!

My thoughts exactly. Your neighbour is totally out of order. Nearly as bad as the builder when he was repairing next doors fence trampling over my garden and throwing piles of rubbish all over it. How bad was it when you get home?

The hedge was half the height by the time i got home. So we can now see each other when we are in the gardens. It doesnt look to bad from my side,its still green, his side from what I can see from the upsatirs window just looks like twigs. So it must be awful fo rhim to look at. His own fault. He was outside when I got home. I said to him that I would have appreciated a conversation before he took the action and if that the hedge doesnt recover from this hacking it will be replaced. With another hedge. He looked a tad miffed by that. I also said if he wants it trimming going forward to let me know and I will arrange for my brother (gardener) to go round and do it properly. I have been and got some trellace (cant spell it!) at the weekend and secured that to the middle of the hedge to give a bit of privacy and some support for the hedge to grow back up. Hopefully it will recover, it will just take some time.

The poor birds though when I got home were squaeking away

Don't do leylandii. it is a nightmare.

My recommendation is Hebe "midsummer beauty) . A lovely bush with purple flowers, takes from cuttings very easily and grows quickly.

Feel free to PM me if you want any further instructions (or I could send you a cutting or two from mine!)

Just googled this, tis pretty

Thank you for the very kind offer. How do you grow from cuttings?

Find someone with a plant (!)

Snip off the end of a growing shoot (preferably non flowering) around three inches long, just above a leaf joint.

Trim off most of the leaves and cut the base to just below a leaf joint.

Plant in a pot of potting compost and water well. Within a few weeks, roots should have grown from the base of the stem and you will have a healthy little plant to plant in your garden.

Do several and you'll have a whole hedge full!