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??

Don't say anything. It's their garden and their property. For all you know they made the decision to leave it to overgrow due to their love of wildlife. either way it's none of your business and you can just make a better fence if it bothers you that much.

Our neighbours garden is like this. Half of it is taken up by stinging nettles. This doesn't bother me as much as the fact that they gave 3 dogs that they haven't cleaned up after in a year or so.

We've turned the top half of our garden (it's quite a steep hill so otherwise useless) into a wildflower meadow and leave it to run beautifully rampant. I think it's beautiful! The bees are very happy.

Leave them to it OP, just trim what intrudes into your space and ignore away.

I have trouble trying to control my own bind weed and brambles! One thing I've done that you might try, I cut them back as far as I could, wrapped a few cm of the remaining plant in thick kitchen roll, dipped that in a very powerful ground clearance solution and fastened a plastic bag over it, the brambles died back quiet rapidly. It won't affect adjacent plants as it's systemic.
We once had an empty house behind us with a weedy garden and I mixed a strong weedkiller, leaned over the fence and poured it onto the rubbish.

There's a spectrum of "untidy" gardens though.

My NDNs have a very untidy garden: rubbish dumped for months, long grass, overgrown trees and a huge bramble problem, but, slowly, we are jointly trying to sort it out (and they have significant extenuating circumstances).

The problem comes when the situation cannot be dealt with anymore unless you throw a lot of money at it, money you might not have: tree roots that are undermining public footpaths but will cost thousands to fell, or a cemetery in private ownership where the growth is so out of control that it is disturbing human remains (yes, we have that one near us; nothing like a fox depositing old femurs on people's drives )

It's a bit like old cars on people's drives.

For the first few years, it's a bit of an eyesore but hey ... one day, they'll sort it.

Ten years down the line, which comes up quicker than expected, they suddenly realise they can't actually move the car without external help because the tires have gone, the electrics no longer work and the battery is a safety hazard -- and they don't have the money to get someone to remove it for them. So it sits until it rusts to nothing and poisons the land underneath, and makes all their neighbours hate them because the sight of the thing has depressed surrounding property values.

if you care that much then offer to help.

My grass was never cut as I couldn't afford a lawn mower when I moved into my new place, and the neighbours lend me their tools and I do the work

So maybe try that

Honestly I would be ennoyed. I mean...they have eyes so they know really and to have your neighbor coming to say that they saw too well 😑
Buy a higher fence if you can. Put it ontour side and with a nice decoration.
Let them deal with their mess.

It’s up to them! Stuff growing through on your side you can trim and return to them.

Should read « on your side»

"The top of their garden is a big mound of grass, plants, bushes all overgrown. "

sounds lovely. if you think brambles are coming through to your side, ask them politely to deal with that, but I would love to have a wild garden.

Our neighbours on one side keep their garden mostly tidy, on the other side is a field owned by our other neighbours, there is a hedge with lots of brambles and nettles that poke through our picket fence, I generally just trim then when I can be bothered but it is annoying.

We both work full time and have a 1 and 2.5 year old and manage to keep our own garden tidy so I’m not sure it’s an excuse to not cut your grass!

Its a nature reserve!

It is really none of your business. You can cut what comes through. And if you think they are renting, do not report them. You do not know them or what is happening in their lives.

Is there a Council standard? Where I live, grass in excess of 30 cm or intended weeds will earn you a visit, an opportunity to remedy it, and then a fine.

Leave them alone, it's their space to do what they want. Just trim overhanging foliage and give it back to them. I personally would be pleased that at least on that side your garden is private.... no one ever in it. Lucky you.

It shouldn’t put off buyers if you wish to sell. I used to live next door to a jungle garden. My house sold the day after first viewings, for 10% over asking. It was just an average house. Nothing special about mine - a 2-bed semi in a below average area.

Its none of your business what they do or don’t do with your garden. Keep your side safe for the kids and dogs and enjoy the nature.

Are you my neighbour?! My grass is ridiculously long & it upsets me every time I look. My ex took my lawnmower, I can’t afford a new one. I’ve contacted so many Gardner’s and no one seems to get back or have space to do. Finally got one to quote and he never turned up again. I work, look after the house and am allergic to cut grass! It’s a nightmare. I’d bite your hand off if you organised a Gardner for me!!!

She's doing her bit for local wildlife albeit probably inadvertently so let it go and get better fencing!

I’d be annoyed too. It would definitely put people off buying your house. We are looking and take into account the whole road. Could you ask a gardener you know to go door to door on your street asking for business so they don’t suspect?

Next spring chuck a handful of wild flower seeds over there. The resulting lovely wildflower meadow will attract butterflies and bees.

Get a big container of Rosate 360 and dilute with water as per instructions and use with a watering can in the night. After 2 weeks there will be nothing left standing I can guarantee.

Mention to them that if their garden becomes attractive to badgers they may struggle to sell their house ever. And so might you.

They are probably also harbouring rats but that’s minor in comparison to badgers.

I get your point but wouldn't bother me at all. Our grass was very high last month due to husband being unable to cut it and I was loving all the wild flowers that were growing out there. Now it is all boring and green again. But then I love all plants and feel guilty when pulling ou weeds ....

I'd say hi neighbour but mine dont have young kids-mine is currently overgrown good for wildlife i have foxes sleeping out there-if it does affect anyones property i will trim it back but thats it

We haven't got a lawn but we were discussing this a few weeks ago and agreed that if we did we would just keep the outer edge cut all around, about a foot wide, and let the middle grow for the wildlife.

Old prams, old mattresses and junk in the garden would annoy me but not long grass.