Neighbours never cut their grass.

[Shootingstar1115]

When I say never, I mean never. It’s a jungle out there. They are busy working people, I understand it’s hard to keep on top. We aren’t keen gardeners ourselves but manage to cut the grass and keep it looking half presentable.

They don’t maintain their garden at all. It’s causing all sorts of plants and brambles to grow through the fence into our garden which we can trim to a certain extent but both my kids have scatched themselves and recently our dog had a nipple injury - large scratch/cut after coming in from the garden. Obviously we don’t know for sure it’s that but she often jumps up to the fence if she hears other dogs/people/cats nearby (not that she can see them 🤣) and it seems likely she injured herself that way.

My kids have also accidentally chucked balls over there but you can’t see them to find them so we’ve just left them in there for now 🤣

I feel like helping them out with it but it will be a large job and myself and Oh lack the time nor are we keen gardeners ourselves.

Would you be annoyed??

It is not a crock of shite. I absolutely would refuse to buy a house that had a neighbour like this

Get a nice tall fence. It'll keep out the weeds, stop your dog going in and limit football over kicks.

NotSuch, I agree. It would put me off buying and I would worry if I was trying to sell and I had neighbours like this and actually, I am and I do!

If I was renting, I don't think this would bother me though.

Long grass is not so much of a problem; at least, it keeps down dandelions.

The issue is the brambles you mention. Brambles are hardcore bastards, and when they get established, it is very difficult to root them out.

If you've any fencing or garden walling, brambles can become a major problem by undermining the structure. And unless you rip them out by the roots, the problem will come back year on year and get worse.

However, there's not much you can do as a neighbour. It's their land: their plants.

We are in a similar position, but our neighbours recognise they struggle due to family commitments and, as such, work with us to keep their garden from getting completely out of control, but your situation appears different.

Out of control gardens do become a health and safety issue eventually: undermining garden brick work, leaf fall in wet weather making paths slippery, trees growing beyond a manageable height too close to residential buildings, root systems undermining pathways etc. It can get very expensive to rectify if things get out of hand.

If the situation starts to affect your buildings insurance, I think you have to say something but until then, it's tricky.

You could, however, encourage a local gardener to pop a leaflet advertising services through their door.

I wouldn't like it but wouldn't say anything because it's not my garden. I would just keep it cut back at the fence.

And it would make me think twice about buying a house next door.
An acquaintance of mine lives next door to someone who doesn't care that his garden is such a mess (and who could well afford to pay someone to tidy it up and maintain it). She had to contact environmental health about the rats.

@ethelfleda It would put me right off. No way would I buy a property next to scruffy neighbours.

I like the wild look. I prefer it to manicured lawns and plants. Maybe they do too. Good for bugs, birds and butterflies.

It's a shame really because there could be a family out there who need a house they would actually live in.

This is the one thing that would have me reaching for the nosy neighbour phone. Assuming it's not because of a long stay in hospital it's just unacceptable. Report it to your H.A. Start with your local housing officer and go higher up the food chain if necessary until you're satisfied.

My neighbours garden was like this and the council sent him a letter telling him to cut it. He was privately renting so I'm not sure how theh could force him to do it, I think they quoted some environmental laws.

The poor bloke had been in hospital with psychosis so it was the last thing he needed. We don't know if another neighbour had reported the garden or if the council had just randomly noticed it was messy.

I absolutely cannot fathom the idea that someone wouldn’t buy a house solely because the next door neighbour’s grass was long.

Rewilding is the thing to do! Great for bugs, birds, small mammals - it’s how it should be. Whether it’s down to a conscious choice or unable/unwilling. I’d be happy with that next door. Much of our garden is given over to nature now. We are off out to find some nettles to plant in the garden this afternoon. Great for wildlife.

MissShapes we have an unkempt area at the bottom of our garden and it is teeming with all sorts of species of wildlife.
We do have a nicely cut lawn and border plants etc and a veg patch too... but try and let some parts grow wild and have piles of logs etc scattered about just to attract wildlife.
My DM has just had all of her hedges removed and replaced with wooden fences and all her trees removed. She now just has a square of cut grass. It’s bloody depressing.

We have an elderly female neighbour who is perpendicular to us, so the end of our garden is part of the side of hers. The fence at the end is falling down and only being held half up by all the brambles, ivy and weed that is growing out of control in her garden. We want to replace the fence to keep our pets secure (and to make the garden look nicer!) and although we'd be happy to pay for the replacement fence (it's her fence), it would be pointless unless her garden was cleared, as the ivy and brambles would just wreck a new fence. I doubt very much she has the money to pay to have her garden sorted out as it's extremely long and very out of control. Our only option really is to put in a new fence several inches inside the boundary, but it's a bit annoying to have to lose a bit of your land due to neighbours not looking after their own. My NDN has already built their own fence several inches in, so this elderly neighbour is slowly getting a wider garden by stealth.

It would put me right off. No way would I buy a property next to scruffy neighbours.

Why?

I wouldn't buy next door to someone who clearly doesnt give a shit about their property... because it'll likely mean that they don't give a shit about a lot of other things. Civilised behaviour means not allowing gardens to develop into jungles which attract rats etc.
Anti-social behaviour.

My neighbours garden is pretty messy, I have spent the afternoon pulling out bind weed which has come under the fence and strangled my rose bush 😡. They also have bags of rubbish piled up at one end of the garden. A few weeks ago we had rats which had dug under the fence and took residence in my shed, I had to pay someone to remove them and clear my shed. It is annoying when people don’t keep their gardens tidy, it’s not that hard, takes me half an hour to mow the front and back garden.

We have neighbours like this, but they have done the same to their property.
We will have to replace their fence if we come to sell as it's down. The paving slabs have all sunk into the ground and the garden is just horrendous. Lots of nice warm grass for the rats and foxes to nest.
There's nothing to do, we have tried talking to them and they aren't interested.
You have my sympathy, just carry on trimming brambles back or bleach them/ set fire to them. (obviously not burning the fence down.)

Are they homeowners or do they rent?

My neighbour is like that, really irritates me, I spend a lot of time and money on my garden and their weeds and grass come through and over the fence, it's like steptoes yard too, old furniture, wood , rubbish piled up. Cant say anything to her cos shes vile and aggressive, the inside is worse, wipe your feet on the way out!

Yes, I'd be annoyed, especially with the weeds creeping into yours but I don't know that there's much you can do.

This could be me..
Sorry if it is!
I don't garden and my partner finds it overwhelming. However, i really enjoy sitting out there watching the bees and wildlife. Saw a hedgehog for the first time last week!
I find it hard enough keeping up with housework, the garden will have to wait. We do keep the hedge tidy on the pavement side though.

Honestly I'd be happy that they've let their garden be a mini nature reserve. Nothing makes me quite as cross as a well manicured lawn...absolutely nothing for all those vital little bugs to live off.

Hmmm I’d be annoyed if I was you, but at the same time I think we are that family with the untidy garden where we live. Though it isn’t that bad, my husband does mow it but we have rubble and all sorts in a part at the end that’s all overgrown, our neighbours all have pristine gardens. We are too busy working or looking after our children to do it and can’t really afford to pay a gardener. We’ve been meaning to do ours since we moved in, the house jobs just gets prioritised. I find it quite embarrassing really as I’m sure your neighbours do.

I think they’d be offended if you suggest a gardener and clearing it for them is a bit weird. You might just have to get a taller fence so you can’t see it from your house.

um, my garden is a haven for wildlife without the (small) lawn being a jungle and weeds all over the place! It doesn't have to be either/or!

My front garden is currently overgrown . As I work permanent nights I never find the time except for holidays. If I could cut it at 6.30 in the morning it would be great as that's when I'm wide awake and do household chores, however I don't think my neighbours would approve.

ethelfleda - can we assume then that you've brought a property with next door neighbours who don't take care of their lawn and let it grow (yeah right)