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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not want to cut down ivy on my wall?

32 replies

cazboldy · 16/05/2012 12:16

we live in a tied cottage.

we have a neighbour, although the houses are detached we share a wall. the wall is a bit of a mish mash of concrete, stonework and an old fashioned flint wall along the bottom.....it also has ivy... the effect is i can see the lovely old flint wall along the bottom, but it hides the horrible concrete bit on the top. should also mention that i didn't plant it

neighbour has asked dh's boss - who is also lanlord obviously to get me to cut the ivy off at the bottom so it dies as it is hanging over their side

I am a) pissed off that they went and spoke to the landlord instead of just asking me,

and b) I don't want to cut it all down, and think they should just cut the stuff that hangs over their side, and possibly along the top.

AIBU?

OP posts:
sandyballs · 16/05/2012 12:20

Bloody cheek of them, they can cut any that hangs over their side but certainly can't expect you to kill it. We had lovely ivy until recently when it was cut down for an extension and our neighbours told us they were very pleased it had gone! I hadn't known it was such a problem for them. They'd only have had to trim it three of four times a year, if that.

Much better looking at ivy than concrete or in our case an old fence.

gwendolinefairfax · 16/05/2012 12:32

we had the same problem when we moved to our new house. Our neighbour had beautiful ivy growing that draped over our wall and she ripped it up ! (no mean feat either as it was so well established) but it was on her side of the wall and we could do nothing ! We are left with a most unattractive wall and neighbour peering into our garden. She didn't like it as it attracted spiders (and loads of other insects etc !! a real mini eco system !)I was fuming.
It depends on where the roots grow I think.

PurplePidjin · 16/05/2012 12:32

YABU, because eventually the ivy will destroy the wall. If it's big enough to cover the cottage that much, then it won't be very long at all before permanent damage is done.

Why not cut down the ivy, screw a bit of trellis on and plant roses/clematis/wisteria?

gwendolinefairfax · 16/05/2012 12:34

oh, and you should tell them to cut whatever hangs over the top and to p+ss orf !

valiumredhead · 16/05/2012 12:35

Cut the ivy down - it will ruin your brick work and replace it with something that doesn't damage the walls. If you just cut at the bottom it will die and fall away.

Just realised pidjin has said exactly the same Blush

valiumredhead · 16/05/2012 12:36

Montana evergreen clematis will grow enough to cover on side of your house it a year - plant that instead!

squeakytoy · 16/05/2012 12:37

YANBU, BUT... in the interest of keeping on friendly terms with the neighbours, if it is overhanging their property, I would say you should offer to cut it back.

Ithinkitsjustme · 16/05/2012 12:42

YANBU to like the ivy or to refuse to kill it, but you should be aware that it may well lead to permenent damage of the wall, and may make it unsafe. If this happens then yu would have to replace te wall, and worse case scenario someone could be injured and you would be held liable. Your neighnours have no right to insist that you cut it down on the grounds that it overhangs on their side of teh wall. They are entitled to trim their side and MUST by law, throw any trimmings into your garden, or at least return them to you - they are not allowed to dispose of them as they are still your property.

RatDesPaquerettes · 16/05/2012 12:42

I agree with squeakytoy. I don't think it is nice to request that a neighbour deals with a problem caused by one of your plants. I cut my ivy so that it does not go over the joint wall I share with my neighbours.

treas · 16/05/2012 12:47

Is it your landlord that the neighbour spoke to or the neighbours own landlord?

If it is your landlord then the neighbour was correct in speaking to him as he would be responsible for the house upkeep.

If it was their landlord they spoke to then they should have discussed the matter with you first.

That said they should just cut any over hanging ivy on their side of the wall

Ithinkitsjustme · 16/05/2012 12:54

If it is YOUR landlord who wants you to cutthe ivy down then you have no choice. Especially as he will be responsible for any damage done to the wall by the ivy.

LadySybilDeChocolate · 16/05/2012 12:57

Actually, if it's an old wall and the ivy is very well established then it's not wise to kill it/cut it as it could be the only thing that's keeping the wall up. It's best to get a builder to look at it. The other side can trim it but you need to be really careful.

eurochick · 16/05/2012 12:59

YABU. Our neighbours have ivy. We have a continuing time-consuming battle to stop it taking over our postage stamp sized garden. They never cut it back. It is all on us.

DressDownFriday · 16/05/2012 13:02

YANBU but I would keep it trimmed and get rid of any that overhangs into their garden.

5Foot5 · 16/05/2012 13:08

Having just completed the very difficult and time consuming job of removing the ivy on the end of out house I would be in the "rip it down" camp.

As others have said it can damage the walls and we could see ours was starting to interfere with the guttering.

However, the final straw for us, and the thing that instigated the removal, was the fact that it can harbour all kinds of insects and creepy crawlies. Last summer we had a terrible time with ants and had several invasions. The last one was in the spare bedroom when we got flying ants (YUCK) and we figured that they must have got in via the ivy - couldn't see any other way.

When we came to pull it down we also found a wasps nest in there - admittedly defunct but, still, we hadn't realised we had been allowing a habitat for so many pests.

laughlovelife · 16/05/2012 13:08

what ever you do, do not cut it down!!, the ivy may be very well keeping the wall intact, have a professional Gardner or have a wall survey done.

I am assuming the house is not owned by you, so you wont be held accountable for the building or the outer walls etc... that's the landlords responsibility.

My dh has a masters in arboriculture and horticulture, and also a landscape Gardner, and is currently doing his degree is architecture, and the above advice has came from him.

5Foot5 · 16/05/2012 13:08

That should be our house not out house

Flisspaps · 16/05/2012 13:10

If your LL has requested you remove the ivy at ground level then I don't think you have a choice, lovely as it may look Sad

smalltown · 16/05/2012 13:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

valiumredhead · 16/05/2012 13:17

And mice use it as a ladder to climb into your loft

Scholes34 · 16/05/2012 13:20

Just be pleased you're not dealing with Russian Vine.

TheCunnyFunt · 16/05/2012 13:49

Oh blimey Russian Vine! That stuff is like that creeper in Jumanji. We had it at the house I grew up in. We left there over 10 years ago and up until a short while ago it was still taking over the back garden.

SCOTCHandWRY · 16/05/2012 14:04

There was an interesting program on R4 about a year ago, discussing Ivy and walls. the National Trust (I think it was) has long had a policy of removing Ivy from buildings to avoid damage, but decided to take part in a study to see what the actual effect of Ivy on wall is - the result was surprising, there was less damage to walls with Ivy than those without Ivy as the Ivy protects from frost, rain and other kinds of environmental damage. The roots/shoots tend to grow into existing cracks and not make them worse (or not as bad as wind/rain/frost would do). The often assumed "fact" that damage to walls by Ivy is due to ugly/damaged/broken walls often having Ivy planted on them to hide existing damage!

I would cut the Ivy along the top of the wall, and not let it grow over.

Original poster
cazboldy · 16/05/2012 14:49

it is my/our landlord (dh's boss) - they own their property.

lots of varied opinions..... think the general consensus is get rid of it though Sad

the wall is not structurally unsound at all..... really not that old and very solid.... just very ugly!

suppose i could plant a clematis or something else there instead.........

just miffed that she didn't speak to me. we are far from best friends, but are on friendly terms and exchange pleasantries when we bump into one another.

This is the first time I have had a neighbour........ and I don't like it!

OP posts:
Ohyoubadbadkitten · 16/05/2012 14:59

My understanding is that ivy only damages walls that are already damaged.

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