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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBY to put neighbour's rose clippings in her bin

74 replies

SouthDownsSunshine · 08/08/2016 10:58

Neighbour has a huge rambling rose that falls over (a lot) into our garden.

Today I finally got around to cutting back a lot that falls on our side. I respectfully left some on our side so as to give us both privacy (the fence is low).

There was lots of clippings. About a foot worth once in the garden bin. I've got time off work this week and I've got lots more gardening to do so I'll be filling up my bin with my own garden waste before bin collection.

I thought, easy, put it in her bin. (She adds her recycling and normal rubbish to our bins on collection mornings, which we're happy with.)

She has just put it all back into my garden bin.

Who's being unreasonable?

OP posts:
PeppaPigTastesLikeBacon · 08/08/2016 12:07

i agree. Go and talk to her? It's petty on her behalf especially given that she uses your bins!

GnomeDePlume · 08/08/2016 12:07

Have to say the talking option would have been best then you could have discussed how best to do it. A neighbour of ours trimmed back a climber which had got onto their side of a fence. They didnt check with us, 'pruned' (hacked at) the climber and as a result killed it.

Original poster
SouthDownsSunshine · 08/08/2016 12:08

seren I don't see anything passive aggressive in her putting rubbish in our bins normally, so surprised it could be taken this way. I thought it as just a sensible thing to do. My thinking has been corrected though ;)

I'll talk to her. By putting the cuttings back in our bin she's made it more confrontational - she must have seen me in the garden when she did this, so she chose not to talk then.

I certainly don't want to start conflict with my neighbour! Normally she's lovely, if a little over chatty. (She also manages to insult me every time I talk to her .... she has regular opinions on the size of my bump.)

OP posts:
mmchocolate · 08/08/2016 12:09

Damselindestress

I was about to say the same thing, that's been my understanding of this sort of situation.

OP

Could you talk to her, ask another neighbour or just bag and bin next time

what doesn't fit now.

theredjellybean · 08/08/2016 12:09

just going through similar wiht our very mad and unreasonable neighbours.
my solicitor says law is...

you can trim/prune etc anything that overhangs your property to the boundary fence/marker etc.
You do not need permission though preferable to discuss with owner of tree/bush/rose etc
The clippings belong legally to the owner of said plant, so you need to offer them back but if they decline you need to dispose of them.
Just chucking over fence ( as is occurring in our case) is illegal and classed as fly tipping.

Original poster
SouthDownsSunshine · 08/08/2016 12:11

gnome I'm a very careful gardener and was really careful at what I pruned. Before I pruned it for the first time I chatted to her about it first, and I've pruned it carefully every year since.

This is the first year I've put the clippings in her bin, normally I wouldn't worry about it going in mine but the state of my garden means I need the space.

If needs be DH can take excess waste to the tip.

OP posts:
gillybeanz · 08/08/2016 12:12

If it's her rose bush you are within the law to put the clippings over her side for her to dispose of.
just do this in future.

Original poster
SouthDownsSunshine · 08/08/2016 12:12

That's helpful jellybean.

OP posts:
UnexpectedBaggage · 08/08/2016 12:12

Damsel is wrong. The clippings only have to be offered to the neighbour, she can decline - and it looks like she has.

Original poster
SouthDownsSunshine · 08/08/2016 12:14

This is a picture post prune. The bush is all the way from our conservatory most of the way along the fence, then it was down to the wall and came out a fair distance. So lots of clippings!

AIBY to put neighbour's rose clippings in her bin
OP posts:
Original poster
SouthDownsSunshine · 08/08/2016 12:15

Happy to be corrected on the law. I shall grit my teeth and be conciliatory.

OP posts:
DeadGood · 08/08/2016 12:18

"I'm tempted to knock on her door, explain my predicament, and hope she'll allow me to put some excess garden waste into her bin."

You're 'tempted' to? You make it sound as though talking to your neighbour is an absolute last resort. Why is that?

BitOutOfPractice · 08/08/2016 12:19

I can't understand why you wouldn't want a rambling rose along that fence anyway - was it in bloom?

DeadGood · 08/08/2016 12:20

YANBU though OP, if you have an pre-existing bin arrangement then it's weird of her to throw the clippings back at you.

It's possible she was also planning lots of gardening this week and will struggle similarly to fit it all in her bin, but she didn't need to take it all so personally

Original poster
SouthDownsSunshine · 08/08/2016 12:24

dead see comments up thread about length of chat and her ability to insult.

bit I wait until it's finished flowering ;) But it means we can't open all of our conservatory windows, I usually have pots on that wall, and it brings more light into our garden.

OP posts:
cexuwaleozbu · 08/08/2016 12:30

The clippings are her property and her responsibility but you are both being petty and unreasonable, and should talk to each other.

Are you resentful of her not caring about the time taken and scratches endured as you did the work? Is that what you are actually upset about?

It's perfectly normal for us to have a backlog of clippings needing to go into the garden bin after a weekend of gardening. We just leave it in a pile in the corner and put it in the bin after it has next been emptied - by which time it will have dried out a bit and will take up much less space.

ghostspirit · 08/08/2016 12:32

cant you just burn the clippings. or would it be to smokey

splendide · 08/08/2016 12:34

Hang on everyone.

There's a law that says you can cut your neighbours' bushes but you must give them back the clippings.

Amazed nobody else has mentioned it!

pourmeanotherdrink · 08/08/2016 12:35

Maybe your neighbour is offended that you prefer the look of that bare fence over her lovely rambling rose. Grin

pourmeanotherdrink · 08/08/2016 12:37

Splendide, have you actually rtft?

splendide · 08/08/2016 12:41

It was a hilarious and subtle joke pourme

Original poster
SouthDownsSunshine · 08/08/2016 12:42

pour maybe!

cexu love the second guessing of my feelings! I'm just a bit peeved she put them back. That's all. The scratches I incurred are minor.

I have a rambling rose in my front garden (next to other neighbours) and I carefully train it along my side of the garden wall. So yes, maybe there's a bit of underlying annoyance that she doesn't do similar.

OP posts:
Original poster
SouthDownsSunshine · 08/08/2016 12:43

Her garden is meticulous (unlike mine!), so it is a bit odd that she doesn't worry about the bit that's out of her sight!

OP posts:
fizzyyes · 08/08/2016 12:44

Wait until it's dark and have a bonfire?

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 08/08/2016 12:49

Good Lord, no wonder people fall out with neighbours!