AIBU about my neighbours?

[liz5029]

We were away this weekend and whilst we were gone our neighbours decided to take out a fence panel so that they could access our garden, put in a rusty piece of pipe as a support for the fence as their rabbits have been pushing against it from their side and left it sticking up in an area of ground we've just cleared to put a flower bed in with sharp edges on the top without asking us?

They do have form, they have been known to cut the top off our bushes on their side if they think they are getting too tall, these are bushes which dont overhang their garden and they also took a chainsaw to one of our trees when they put their new fence panels in without asking us and we ended up having to get them to cut it down they made such a mess of it

I've been putting up with it because they are ideal neighbours in other ways but I am getting fed up of them just taking out a fence panel whenever they feel like accessing our garden, AIBU in considering planting thorny bushess all the way down the fence on our side so they cant do this?

I'd be pretty pissed at this. You now have a sharp, rust piece of piping sat in pride of place in your flower bed? They'd be getting a knock on the door if were me! I might even graduate to arm folding and tutting whilst I stood over them watching them undo their bloody impromptu gardening in my garden!

Weird how they waited for you to be away! Gits.

Theres no pipe any more we've taken it out! There's no way we were leaving it there as its where the cat likes to jump down from the fence, our cat and their cat in fact

I hope you've kindly given their rusty pipe back to them? Thorny bushes sounds an excellent way to go.

I'd booby trap the panels, I can't believe they think this is ok!

I'm thinking Blackthorn that way I can make Sloe gin too. My DH has just informed me that they've screwed a piece of wood in on their side and the screws are sticking out on our side too just to add to it

Ooh a booby trap, good plan! Except knowing the clumsiness of my DH he'd set it off on himself any time he walked in the general area

I'd go for gooseberry bushes - they have incredible thorns!

Pyracantha is a well-thorned bush that attracts birds by its berries. Its flowers attract bees, too. The thorns deter people. And it grows reasonably quickly but its easy to clip and control (it's not like Leylandii at all). I have one to keep out neighbours' teenagers

As for their rusty nails on your side, you could use them as something to tie twine to for plants of some sort to climb up. otherwise saw them off.

Good plant recommendations thank you. The DH may take his saw to the srews or cover them up in some way so they arent sharp

Why on earth do you not tell them that this is unacceptable?

Nannyogg - because they really are fantastic neighbours in so many other ways and I dont want to fall out, and I know from another neighbour that they can be awkward and hold a grudge. I have health problems and really dont need the stress and because I know from other things they've said/done that they genuinely think they are helping us/saving us the effort because they know the DH works long hours and I'm ill

Might be more thoughtful if they asked first...

Second the pyracantha. Great deterrent.

Third the pyracantha. Mega thorny. Evil stuff.

The screw ends sticking into your side can be covered with clay or plaster of paris and painted over if needed. They really should have spoke to you, and asked permission to fix it, and do it right.
Gooseberries make a wonderful hedge, provide food for you, and the birds and the bees, as well as being nearly impossible to penetrate!

Nannyogg you have a good point

Beachy thats a good idea I actually have some plaster of paris in the house and some clay

its really annoying they didnt speak to us because we would have been happy to do something. I also find it annoying that they've done it properly on their side and just shoved any old thing on our side, our garden never looks as neat as theirs, because we've been clearing 4 skips worth of junk out of it that the last owner left there, but its frustrating when we're starting to get it nice this happens.

Still its good to know IANBU and we're planning a trip to the garden centre at the weekend

|Pyrocanthus is pretty. as is holly but slower growing and the leaves drop off and are a bugger to garden around.
try a trellis across the top so they can not lift it out.

I have pyracantha all round my garden. Nothing gets in. Nothing gets out.

rosa rugosa very prickly and lovely flowers i bought some because my neighbours teen was having a crafty fag in my garden he got considerably tangled in it job done

can you screw the boards to the post to stop them lifting it out?

I can recommend Berberis as a deterrent. The previous householder planted lots of different types in our garden some of which are quite pretty (red stem& leaves, pinky flowers or evergreen with yellow flowers) but omg it is lethal.
We've been slowly working to remove it (as it's planted right where the kids play) and it goes through really thick leather gardening gloves far to easily, I got a spine stuck in my nail bed and was in serious agony.

More spiny plant suggestions, I'd have a selection for various colour all year round (if any are evergreen)
www.doctorgreenfingers.co.uk/Gardening_Records_Archives/Garden_security.html

If anything protrudes through the fence like screws, a cork will screw on from your side and render the screw safe.