To be furious that a sneaky neighbour has butchered two of the prettiest trees in my garden?

[MaBumble]

Our front garden has a lawn, a path that allows about 5 of our neighbours access to their back garden through a small locked side gate and a narrow path down the side of our house. There is a line of trees and bushes and a hedge cut by the council that separates it from the street. It's a end corner plot and other than the path is completely fenced off and private. They have right of access. Although most tend not to use it as we can all easily access our back garden through our garages, which have back doors.

One of the pine trees had a lovely cyclamen over lower branches that hangs over the path, and there is a lilac tree that also hangs over the path. I trim these back every year but have been waiting for the snow to bugger off!

Yesterday I came back from a last minute Easter egg hunt and spotted the same bastard had hacked the lower branches off the pine tree off - right to the trunk, and cut the cyclamen stem a couple of feet from the base. They also butchered the lilac tree. By cutting all the branches off on the path side. I'm gutted, and furious. Neither was blocked the path, you might have had to duck a bit. If they'd asked or left a note I would have explained I was sorting it out. It looks a bloody mess.

I have no proof which neighbour it was (although have a pretty good idea)

AIBU to want to 'accidentally' break the lock on the gate and they can bring their sodding lawn mower out through their garage? We've been here 7 years and have had no issues but I could honestly slap them stupid!

My neighbours mum was a lovely lady and a keen gardener, she's responsible for a lot of the pretty established plants we all have. Neighbour is a bit sad that hacked the clematis off, we are stood looking at it now wondering if it could recover. There's about a 1 1/2 foot left of the stem.

Any Gardeners out there know?

I would put the sign up on the gate. If it happens again lock the gate. Ok you may have to open it but it sends out a signal to the butcher.

Hi Cantspell, I agree but would it have hurt them to talk to me first? We're not talking about a bit of gentle pruning here, all the branches on the side off the path have been cut from the lilac tree and that wasn't blocking anyone.

Clematis are pretty hardy. It will probably recover.

Good news - husband who had Clements all over his last house says hacking it back might do it some good and it probably will recover, despite eing hacked back at this time of year.

He also said put a bloody big Yale lock on your door. Right of access doesn't mean that they get to walk willy billy through your BBQ's, quiet romantic nights in the garden, or ogling your smells on the line. Have a quiet word with the nice neighbours, but make them knock to unlock.

Can you buy one of those motion sensitive garden ornaments. Take it apart and reprogramme it to say "Don't fucking touch the trees again twat face, or else we will scratch you to death." Or similar. Then hide it amongst the shrubbery.

Oh - make them knock to unlock [bugrin]

I like the idea, but in practice it would be a PITA. Nice neighbour thinks they may think its a communal path, have got house paperwork put to check and it shows the boundery line, but actually no meantion of easement or right of way .... Mmmmm

Thanks for checking it will recover CSI, I'm thinking of getting another one just in case - different flowering times/colours would be lovely

Ha! Threatening motion sensor killer bunnies. With sharpened garden rakes and red terminator eyes. Where can I get some?

Don't put a lock on the gate if other have legal access, you are opening yourself up to legal action.

Just put a polite note through everyone's door asking them to contact you if they have a problem with foliage, and that you would rather do your own pruning.

the clematis should grow back.

If your paperwork shows the boundary line and no easement, they might not have a right of way at all. Worth investigating?

Fit something like this so they can get through but not cut anything good...

Yes, Karma, it is a bitch isn't it :)

Like the tunnel, DH might raise an eyebrow or too though.

Re the no right of access, I am wondering ... now wouldn't that be interesting. It's a fairly new development, 10 years old, but was built on old hospital ground, which is why we have a lot of mature trees. Wonder if the developer got lazy ...

Clematis - large flowered varieties are supposed to be cut back to about 18 inches high in early March (accoirding to my gardening book) to ensure vigorous flowering
Lilac- the pathway needs tp be kept clear!! You would be liable for anyone who got a twig in their eye or their head clonked by a branch.

How about a note saying that vandals have damaged some trees in your garden and before you go to the police you are asking neighbours whether they saw anyone acting suspiciously while you were out.
Unless this is an April fool.......

If there's no easements on your title, and the properties are only about 10 years old (so the path has only been in use for 10 years) you could well not actually have an enforceable right of way through your property. If none of the others use this path, then perhaps you could block it off? Worth talking to a solicitor about I would think.

Whatever you do, do not go out in the middle of the night with an open can of coke and write a rude word with the liquid on the lawn.

(apparently coke will kill the grass off)

Some Clematis usually the later flowering ones are meant to be cut back about now. The early flowering ones are hardy buggers so I think it will recover

You can get zombie gnomes.....

here

Oh they should do the trick Jux . All lined up each side of the path :)

Oh bollox buggery bastards.
I spent yesterday & today gardening (to reclaim my invaded garden) Got the pressure water jet out to clear the patio and paths. In a fit of sillyness I wrote 'tree butchering wank badges will die' on the paved path, fully intending to jet spray it out. Then the bloody thing broke .... Shit. Not the polite note I intended to leave ....

Badges=badgers

[bugrin] oh dear!