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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU? Garden boundary and Twatty NDN.

54 replies

UterusUterusGhali · 10/05/2018 10:24

Not sure if I'm actually BU or not so thought I'd check before confronting NDN.

I've planted a hedge between my neighbors front garden and mine. We rent the houses from the HA and when I moved in there were no boundaries just one long front garden. The housing officer told us it was up to us to put in fences/hedges.
There was a fence put there by last occupiers but it fell down just before NDN moved in.

I've planted some heding. At least twice now twatty NDN has done his twice yearly strimming of his dandelion patch and taken out the saplings. I can't afford to keep replacing them and I'm cross. I have planted some from cuttings that I took too but he strimmed them too.

The hedging is right on the boundary though. Is that unreasonable? It's a little more towards me so the stems are in "my" bit. I know he can cut it once it's mature but for now it's not in his garden.

Essentially, AIBU to but a hedge on a boundary?

OP posts:
Original poster
UterusUterusGhali · 10/05/2018 10:25

Sorry diagram.

AIBU? Garden boundary and Twatty NDN.
OP posts:
Original poster
UterusUterusGhali · 10/05/2018 10:26

The pink dots are hedging plants.

OP posts:
Albertschair · 10/05/2018 10:56

He is in the wrong, but what do you want to do?

Maybe put support posts in against each sapling and dig a clear trench against the boundary so he doesn't strim onto your bit

Motherofallbeasts · 10/05/2018 10:57

It is malice or ignorance? You need to talk to him.

SeaCabbage · 10/05/2018 10:58

Yes I think you are going to have to make the boundary more clear while your hedge is growing.

Or go and speak to him.

cornflakegirl · 10/05/2018 10:59

Could you put one of those log rolls or similar along the border to protect the plants until they are established?

Original poster
UterusUterusGhali · 10/05/2018 11:16

I did put some sticks in front of the smaller plants but he strimmed (strum?) those. Some of the plants are 2-3 foot so deffo a hedge and not weeds.

Not sure if it's deliberate. He is a bit of a twat.

Tree protectors are a great idea, although they're a bit big for the wee saplings. My boyfriend is an arbourist so I'll ask him to get me some.

OP posts:
Original poster
UterusUterusGhali · 10/05/2018 11:16

Oh log rolls! Yeah that would be in his bit because the plants are right on the edge.

OP posts:
WhatATimeToBeAlive · 10/05/2018 11:18

Maybe put some chicken wire along the boundary and then put the plants your side of it so he can't get to them.

PorkyPortia · 10/05/2018 11:19

Go and tell him to leave them alone
They are in your garden not his

UpstartCrow · 10/05/2018 11:19

You can also complain to your housing officer, he is damaging your property.

Yecartmannew · 10/05/2018 11:25

If they are that close to the boundary that you cannot get a log roll edging in I would suggest moving them in a bit now.

He has the right to trim the bits that fall onto his side and when they are bigger that will be half the plant, which won't be good for it at all. Moving it in a bit now while they are small will mean he doesn't get to trim them so much.

Also the log roll edging will make a clear distinction regarding how far he is allowed to cut them back.

Original poster
UterusUterusGhali · 10/05/2018 11:35

I can't move them in because I've got a raised bed in front of them iyswim.

That's the bit I'm possibly being U about. It will encroach onto his bit once it's mature but he literally does nothing to his garden bar the occasional hacking of the knee-high grass.

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 10/05/2018 11:39

It would be pretty cheap to put up a very temporary fence - bamboo stakes and plastic netting - to protect the saplings and make it very clear that they are in your garden, on your side of the divide.

TheSpottedZebra · 10/05/2018 11:43

Well - obviously YABU to plant a hedge so close to the boundary then. But you know that. Half of it will be on his property and he's within his rights to kep hacking that half down.

Do move it, and lose some of your raised bed.

EveningHare · 10/05/2018 11:46

Why do you need a fence/hedge if you have a raised bed?

Original poster
UterusUterusGhali · 10/05/2018 11:54

The raised bed has been turned over to flowers. It's very shallow. I want a proper hedge so I don't have to look at the road or his garden.

Ach.

OP posts:
KeiTeNgeNge · 10/05/2018 11:54

why did you plant them so close to the boundary? Sounds like he's trying to make a point...

FizzyGreenWater · 10/05/2018 11:54

Sounds like a few cans of bleach sprayed on his 'lawn' would alleviate the need for strimming?

But you might want to ignore me. I'm not very nice.

HoneyBadger32 · 10/05/2018 11:55

Just stick a little wire fence or plastic netting along your boundaries or something, i think a hedge is going to cause problems, and I would hate to have half of someones hedge in my garden.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 10/05/2018 11:56

Yes, I think planting a hedge right on the boundary line itself is a bit off, tbh. It will cut a good few feet off his garden when it's fully established, even when it's trimmed back. You'll have to take that hit yourself.

MyFamilyAndOtherAnimals1 · 10/05/2018 12:02

I don't think ybu. If the plants are on your side currently, then he should not chop them down. If he has concerns about when they're bigger - then he should talk to you about that now (rather than just vandalising your property) or accept the fact that he can cut them back when they do start to encroach on his side. - Essentially, in the future when they've grown up, if the main stems of the plants are on your side of the boundary, they should be able to survive on your side of the boundary - they'll just be a bit wonky - (being cut down to the main stem on his side, but being able to go bushy on your side).
All in all, your neighbour sounds really annoying. Plus I like hedges (they're so good for wildlife!) and young plants- I hate that anyone could just kill (albeit, miniature) trees like that.

TheSpottedZebra · 10/05/2018 12:03

But you CAN have a hedge, just it has to go in your garden, not his.

Motherofallbeasts · 10/05/2018 13:16

is there a reason you won't talk to him?

Original poster
UterusUterusGhali · 10/05/2018 13:50

I will talk to him when I see him, but I just wondered if I was being totally U before I mentioned it.

Plus he's an almighty twat.

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