Can neighbours attach plants to your fence?

[Crackers321]

Attached to the fence with what looks like thick plastic washing line. It’s my fence I fully own it. CF to not ask first?

[rachelfrost]

Sheesh. Your poor neighbours. Why do you care? The plants aren’t going to damage fence or prevent it from being taken down. Are you avoiding thinking about something else which is a real problem? Life is going to be hard if you find a trellis threatening.

[Xenia]

No but you need to balance falling out with them for 40 years against complaining about it. I have been doing a lot of fence work (with 6 more panels due later this month). My neighbour has always repaired it in the past but is 85 so I am just replacing a few panels and I know she will be glad so on the issue of plants I have chopped a few small branches above to enable me to slot the new panel in in the concrete posts which has not spoiled the view. I have a few more which are covered in ivy on her and my side - it is very wild and even just today I saw the muntjac deer out there and the foxes last night who love the fact some of the fence is down - I will probably leave them a few gaps to get through. I have not decided how much ivy to remove - some is very thick on the stems - I don't want to change anything radically at all as she and I like the wildness and view of greenery. Some of the ivy is her side and some mine and whose ever side it is on ultimately it destroys wooden panels so not an easy issue. (Each panel costs £25). Also sections with fence down now get more light into my wooded area behind my trees which are in a sense the real border much further into my garden but even so I might get new neighbours in future and would like the mostly solid fence back so I will plough on.

[MintyMabel]

I think it’s a good idea to just leave it and deal with it when or if the fence needs replacing.

No it isn’t. Better to do it now before the plants have properly grown.

[Loveinatimeofcovid]

It’s just a fence, calm down.

[PanamaPattie]

My neighbour has just spent £100s having a new fence built. Do you really think it’s ok for me to paint my side any colour I like and then hang plants from it?

[kazzer2867]

Technically they should ask your permission.

In reality you’d have to be a particularly small minded arsehole to stop them growing plants up it/painting their side etc as long as they aren’t damaging it.

^^This. Seems such a non-issue.

[EachDubh]

Often it seems petty to ask orbbe worried but it isn't. We had to replace over 70m of fencing due to neighbours, attaching things to fence, leaning stuff on fence running hoses over posts which rotted them. Cost a fortune plu sthe time taken to replace so a gentle reminder it is your fence is perfectly okay.

[Verity35]

My neighbour has just spent £100s having a new fence built. Do you really think it’s ok for me to paint my side any colour I like and then hang plants from it?

I 100% agree with this! I’ve been reading a lot of threads where people think neighbours can do whatever they like to others property!

[Biancadelrioisback]

Panama would it stop it being a fence if you did? Would it stop serving its purpose for your neighbours? In what way would you doing something or nothing affect them?

[Fieldofgreycorn]

Usually that’s a shared boundary though so surely any fence should be jointly paid for?

If it sits right on a shared boundary then legally any repairs would be split 50/50 by a court wouldn’t they?

[Verity35]

A lot of weird people thinking it is okay that a neighbour can cause potential damage to anyone’s property but the property owner is wrong for wanting to be asked first! What a crazy world we live in. Fences are not cheap are they? So it is an issue definitely, not petty or small minded

[Lovemusic33]

I have put climbing plants on my neighbours fence, though technically it should be my fence, they replaced it before I moved in but technically it’s my side 🤔, luckily I get in well with the neighbour.

I wouldn’t worry too much, if you ever need to replace the fence then they will lose their plants, not your problem really as it’s your fence to replace whenever you wish.

[Nanny0gg]

If the fence needs replacing then tell them they'll have to take down their plants or you will when the panel is removed.

In an ideal world they'd ask, but honestly? Is it doing any damage? Is it bothering you? Do they care about their garden?

I would draw the line at painting, but a bit of trellis and climbing plants? No.

[PanamaPattie]

Biancadelrioisback - no it wouldn’t stop it being a fence. My point is that the fence is not my property. I cannot paint it or attach plants to it. It belongs to my neighbour.

[saraclara]

I have never, in 40 years, had damage caused to a fence by a neighbour. I'm not even sure how that's possible if you have decent posts in place. I'm trying to think of a plant that could possibly do that.

[Lovemusic33]

If anything climbing plants protect the fence from weather damage 🤔

[ilikemethewayiam]

Absolutely not and I can’t believe people don’t know this. I bought my first house back in the 80’s and this was made clear to me by our solicitors. The neighbour on our right grew a huge clematis along our fence without asking. We obviously weren’t aware until it appeared over the top of the fence. I was annoyed that he didn’t ask us. I did knock on his door and Politely point out that he should have asked first but as it was a very pretty plant we agreed that it could stay but that he would have to keep it under control and not allow it to become too heavy AND if it did cause damage to our fence he would have to pay for it. They were nice people and were happy with that. They just think before they went ahead 🙄

[Alsohuman]

My honeysuckle and clematis are - shock, horror - growing up my neighbours’ kitchen wall. You’d have to be very sad to get upset about plants on a fence.

[Verity35]

@saraclara just a quick google search will show you that certain plants CAN damage your fence and cause rotting.

[TheStuffedPenguin]

@Crackers321 I completely get where you are coming from but would say that if you cannot see it then leave well enough alone . Painting would be a different issue as there could be spill through . We are intending to paint our fence at some point and will advise our neighbours in case of the above . Our neighbours don't have much respect though and started to throw towels over the fence to dry . I mean WTF ! It was like the verandah of a cheap holiday hotel . We pushed them back over ( high fence ) and I think the message was given . There was no point in talking to them as on the one occasion I did ( about parking ) he got very irate and slammed his door .

[Moondust001]

The world gripped by a global pandemic. Millions die in a year due to starvation or dirty water supplies. First peoples routinely slaughtered. Climate change. Neighbours growing a few plants up my fence.

Anyone spot the completely ridiculous problem here?

FFS if this is so critical to your future happiness, then have the guts to go and tell your neighbours to get their pants off your fence.

[vanillandhoney]

I mean, yes they should ask permission, but do you really care? Honestly?

[crimsonlake]

Some people are precious about their fences full stop.
Obviously the law is on your side and people should really ask permission but a lot of neighbours do not, either through ignorance or being entitled.
I would always ask and expect others to do the same, unfortunately we are not all the same.
I have a lot of ivy growing over the fence from a couple of neighbours. Since I hate seeing a garden defined by a plain fence I am quite happy with the softened effect even though I know ivy damages.
If you cannot see it and it will cause no damage I see no problem really. There is no point sweating the small stuff, let it go.

[ChardonnaysPetDragon]

Why does it bother you so much? Will you be happier with a bare, sterile and ugly fence.

Plants make a bare fence look so much better. enjoy them instead of worrying about things that don't need to be worried about.

Buy some jasmine and go plant and multiply the joy.

[Binny36]

The world gripped by a global pandemic. Millions die in a year due to starvation or dirty water supplies. First peoples routinely slaughtered. Climate change. Neighbours growing a few plants up my fence.

What a utterly ridiculous comment! In that case no one should be bothered about ANYTHING! Gosh. People are entitled to be bothered by small things, there are tragedies happening all the time to every one so what the hell is your point? You’d be a fantastic neighbour to live next to if that’s what you really think - as I would do what I want and never expect you to object as you’d be too worried about world tragedies to care.