Neighbours causing such a fuss about ivy! Really?

Honestly I can see where they are coming from. I have plants growing through a fence from my neighbour’s garden and it really annoys me. They probably think I don’t care because my garden isn’t perfect anyway and it’s not my fence. But actually it annoys me MORE because I haven’t got a lot of time to keep cutting back someone else’s plants and it’s quite difficult to stop them when it’s not from my side. You shouldn’t be letting your plants grow through a shared fence.

Ivy works its way through the slats in the fences and gradually breaks them apart and the weight pulls them down if it's allowed to gain too much bulk.

There are many, much more civilised plants to create habitats and food for wildlife than destructive ivy (and brambles)

Yeah, yeah, they hate kids, they’re old and have nothing better to do than harass you about minor crap.

I’m peed off at my yet to move in neighbour’s ivy and brambles which have wrecked the dividing fence. I’m forever chopping both, neither are mine, they’re hugely invasive and creeping into my veg patch and going up my wall. I suggest you get control of it.

I had ivy for 20 years taking over my garden

No sign of thrushes

Sap can be an irritant too

Tbh I don’t think they be happy until you kill it. A house in our road had the price slashed by tens of thousands, it had been empty for a year and the ivy had grown into the brickwork, up into the loft, causing lots of damage.

I’m on a mission to kill it off round my property, apparently some types are worse than others.

Song thrushes feed on slugs and snails and nest in ivy. These birds are very much in decline sadly.

And this.

It took me 10 trips to the t ip to dispose of a wooden trellis fence that had been completely rotted and consumed by ivy.

This.

But you don’t care about the plants coming over to your side you said…and what is the point of your AIBU when you think you aren’t?

It’s is a fairly common phenomenon though. When people are retired, they have fewer calls on their time and it’s common to spend a lot of time focussing on and enjoying their gardens. I remember when I was struggling with pregnancy sickness and had a toddler, a neighbour in his 70s started posting parts of plants/bushes through our letter box. He was clearly trying to make some sort of point, but the only point that I took from it was that he did indeed have too much time on his hands. We were busy and tired. If he wanted something, he should have said it, politely.

Ivy is absolutely brilliant for wildlife - birds nest in it, bees feed on the flowers and birds eat the seeds. My fence is covered in ivy and it’s been up for a good 15 years.
Your neighbour cannot dictate what you grow in your garden.

Leaves dropping in the garden , is mildly annoying, could cut back branches once a year and prevent the majority of the mess easily enough. Ivy is invasive and destructive, constantly needing to be hacked back and pulled up to make sure it doesn't spread. Very different problems

I'm on Team Ivy. It's great for pollinators and the berries are a great food source for birds.

There's lots of interesting (and reassuring) information here that you might share with your neighbours: www.rhs.org.uk/prevention-protection/ivy-on-buildings

Lots of people detest ivy, me included. My neighbours ivy is constantly invading through their fence and it tangles itself around my plants and bushes and strangles them. If it's growing up a wooden fence then it will eventually ruin it. I hate that I have to keep cutting back the neighbours ivy from my side and it's rooting itself in my garden too now, so I'll probably never be rid of it. If you could contain it in your garden then it would all be well and good, but ivy can't be controlled like that. It's invasive.

After 4 years I’m assuming the ivy has taken hold and could well be affecting your buildings structures
Get someone out to assess damage if any and be aware it can invalidate your building’s insurance ( and theirs obviously)
Speaking as someone who lived in a semi detached with a local councillor, who incidentally was a nightmare

That's the problem though it's not contained on ops side it coming through the fence. Ivy grows fast and will root in the neighbours garden creating an ongoing battle for them to contain the ivy problem. Ivy is invasive and destructive
Your situation sounds completely different

Exactly. Then put down plastic grass. It's not a nuisance, it supports ecosystems and is absolutely vital in the garden for insects birds and small mammals. I'd trim it, which the OP already has, and leave it at that.

https://www.hiwwt.org.uk/blog/claire-thorpe/importance-ivy

Oh I had brambles as well from the neighbours. BLACKBERRY bush literally overtook my garden along with the Ivy total hell

If it’s contained to your side on your fence then tough shit. Take no notice.
A lot of people who think because they live a certain way and have their garden how they like think everyone else should be the same
My neighbour is like this- sparse landscaped garden. She always makes little comments about my garden being wild. I just say ‘oh isn’t it? I love it- so beautiful!’
It’s not impacting her garden at all- she just thinks our street should all look like her preference.

Slugs & snails thrive amongst ivy. It’s a bastard

Seems everyone gets pretty exercised about icy. I'm much more annoyed by brambles that keep creeping under and ove rour France, but I wouldn't dream of discussing it with the neighbour. I think your neighbours lack manners, but maybe there's some other issue.