AIBU to wish that my neighbours felt as I do about trees?

[Solopower1]

I had an elderflower tree in my garden. I didn't plant it, it just arrived, and grew, and flowered, and provided perches for birds waiting to use the birdbath and nibble at the nuts and seeds in the birdfeeders.

Now it's gone. Without saying anything to me, my neighbours have chopped about 2/3 of it down (the branches that were overhanging their garden), plus they have radically pruned the ones on my side of the fence. Now they are burning it up slowly on their wood-burner stove right underneath my window.

There's nothing I can do about it, is there?

Horrible arseholes. I hate trees being chopped for the sake of it. I would plot my revenge...

I am, I am ... What do you suggest?

And another thing. The pigeons that sit on the fence all poo down my side, not hers. How do you think she makes them do that?

That would really upset me! I’m struggling with the fact that most of my neighbours are all digging up their gardens in favour of gravel or large beach pebble instead of the lovely shrubs planted 3yrs ago (new build estate) which looked lovely until no one took care of them and now fed up with them!! Missing the greenery and wildlife 😢

Haha no idea how she does that! I'm not sure on revenge. I'm pretty sure they've broken a law though?

That's awful and theye have no right to trespass on your side to cut down trees in your garden.If it's a sambucus elderberry they are virtually indestructible. Once established you can prune them right back and they come back year after year.However this is not the correct time of year.How do you get on with them generally ?I'd be inclined to politely point out in future they could talk to you first before pruning anything other than branches overhanging their own garden.And point out that whilst they have their reasons for not wanting trees and foliage equally you have your reasons for wanting them in your garden ie.birds ,wildlife, pleasure .

Just to add we had a similar situation years ago with a neighbour who disliked the ivy climbing up a tree near her fence.we always took care to pull it away so it didn't spill over into her garden.But one day I looked out to see they were replacing a fence panel and she was pulling all the ivy off our tree,and a wren used to nest in it.But even worse was hacking back our ground cover plants.Up until the,even though she was a bit of an odd woman ,we had held a key as she went away a lot and we fed her cat for her.We promptly returned her key and told her to never trespass on our garden again.DH pointed out it was criminal damage.We checked with a lawyer friend and apparently it is.

😡 Bastads! Tell them EXACTLY how you you feel and that you are taking legal advice on trespassing and criminal damage. Then plant some more trees. Have you not spoken to them about it?

They cannot come into your garden to prune a tree. You need to have words with them.

i'd be upset too op as i love trees and wildlife. we used to have a nosey retired couple living at the end of our garden. they used to pressure me to trim the blossom tree in our garden as they said the birds would poo on their decking after eating the cherries . i did a bit but got pissed off with them nagging me to take more off. they used to stick their heads over the fence which is high so they stood on something. they've since moved away so i have let the tree do what it wants in our garden.we have resident squirrels & pigeons. i like watching them enjoy the cherries

I love trees but people do seem to plant them as close to the boundaries as possible. My NDN planted 5 along the boundary 15 years ago on both sides. They now overhang my garden more than there’s that then even ask if I will pass over their pears as they all fall on my side. Not to mention the leaves in my guttering.

Twinny - the same thing is happening all around me, too. Gravel, paving ...

Btw, Snuggle, Ellen and Blue, I don't think she came into my garden, but she must have reached over to prune it so radically. The tree has grown right by the fence, so it overhangs her garden.

I don't really understand why some people get no enjoyment from wildlife and don't appreciate greenery. I'd say it was their loss, except that I really do care.

Boulshired, keep the pears.

Snuggle, my neighbour doesn't speak to me, or even look up when I pass her in the street. And her poor dog howls to break your heart. I have to say, we do occasionally howl back to keep him company.

She's burning the leaves of my lovely tree right now, and all the smoke is coming into my window.

I wouldn’t want ivy growing too close to anything it strangles other plants and is a nightmare when left to run wild.

Why does everyone plant trees right along the fences/boundary’s. If you (not op just general you) want a tree in the garden plant it in the middle of your garden so it’s not overhanging others, then they can’t moan and you won’t moan when they trim it right back to the fence.

Yanbu. I have weird neighbours who don't do flowers, shrubs or trees. One of them recently cut down a tiddly fruit tree, the only thing they had growing.
I'm letting my buddliea go nuts and stick to my side of the fence. Half tempted to stick leylandii up so I don't have to look at their barren gardens anymore.

My neighbours cut down their elderflower tree yesterday, chucking a load of it in my garden. It was in full flower and provided a lot of birds with a lot of food and shelter. Shame they cant be arsed to do the same with the ivy, brambles and bindweed coming into my garden from theirs 😡 the elderflower they cut down was in the corner of their garden, causing no harm to anyone anywhere. Pretty sure they've been in my front garden too, to prune the trees in their garden from my side.

I'm sure you can buy young elderflower trees - plant them along your border and put some trellis or something on the fence to heighten the fence so they can't reach over it

I don't have any actual useful advice but know that I know how you're feeling

Was the tree shading her garden too much? My neighbour has a similar bush/tree which is right on the boundary with a height and spread of over 20 feet. The plants and bushes in my once sunny borders are now straggly and growing at weird angles trying to reach the limited sunshine that appears at 3pm whereas the border used to be in sun from early morning. That too started off as a weed that got out of hand. They haven’t weeded for 15 years!! We get on well so I may bring it up to see if there’s a compromise to be had.

I'd be annoyed if a neighbour did that.

To be honest I think it depends on the tree and the property. We had two trees in the garden when we moved here, a conifer and a laburnum. We had to get rid conifer as it was too big and was damaging the path and we had the laburnum cut down at the same time as it made such a mess in ours and the neighbours gardens. I do miss them, although it means we can sit out in the garden.

Thanks, Flucker. Shame about your neighbours' elderflower tree. What's wrong with people?

The fence in my garden is 6 foot high, so they must have used a ladder.

Meglet, leylandii would be good!

Bicback, love the way your neighbours knew exactly where the birds were going to poo!

Surely she is not allowed to reach over the property boundary to prune branches that do not overhang into hers?
I'd be round there having a serious talk and would follow up with a letter.

Re dog - if it is howling because it is left for hours I'd ring RSPCA

I am a keen gardener but I would not be happy to have someone grow a elderberry tree so close to my property that it over hang by 2/3rds.
These are not small trees and even though when in flower they look lovely I wouldn’t want it over shadowing my garden.

If you want a large tree plant one away from your boundary and then no one will be cutting it back.

They are literally only allowed to prune your tree back to the boundary line.
And the branches they have removed are yours as it is your tree, they shouldn't be burning them- they are not theirs to burn.

Yes, Littlepleasures, it was shading a tiny patch of her for a few hours a day, but she has a large, paved patio on the other side, where she and her family sit of an evening. It's good that you get on with your neighbours, though, and can talk it through.

I think what annoyed me most was that she didn't even mention that she was going to do it, and chose a time when I was out. Seems a bit sneaky and cowardly. I'd have said yes - some of the branches were on her side, after all. It's a little strange, because I asked her if she wanted me to cut back my roses in the front garden, as they were also straying across to the other side ... She said no.

BMW6 we did seriously consider that at one time. But we thought if they took him away, he'd be even more miserable away from his family, and if they couldn't place him (he bites and barks and isn't well trained) they'd have to put him down.

When we first moved in, we thought we might ask if we could take him for walks, but he'd be too much for me to control. Also, there are three adults next door, and, to be fair, they do seem to love him and he does get two walks a day. It's just that he's a big dog, and huskies need a lot of exercise - they need to run 30 miles a day or something. They can't help having to go to work during the day. I suppose they shouldn't have got him in the first place, but they have him now, so they just have to look after him as well as they can.

Elder is a fairy wood and in folklore it must never be burned, your neighbour will suffer the fairies retributions !