Garden - Don't think IABU?!

[GeraniumDreams]

Oh lockdown, it has really driven everyone a bit crazy, hasn't it?

We live in a 3 storey terrace. From our top floor we have a good view of the neighbours' (traditional terrace - long and thin) gardens (and they will have the same of ours). Neither side had ever done much with theirs. We'd done a bit more - patio pots, raised beds for veg and flower beds up the side, we struggle a bit to keep on top of it, we go through gardening "phases", then it gets a bit messy again, but do have a gardener in monthly so it never gets completely out of hand, and the grass is cut weekly in summer.

We've not been great at gardening over lockdown. 3 lots of homeschooling (all kids primary aged, haven't been at school since March where we live) and both adults working (other than a brief spell where I was off) hasn't left much time! The gardener has still been in, but there are definitely some weeds in the flower beds...

Neighbours on one side (we don't usually see much of them - no kids, both work full time, so it's just a case of taking in the odd parcel for them and saying hello if we're in the street at the same time) have both been furloughed since April. They have blitzed their garden and done a brilliant job - landscaping, planting, the works. It does look fab.

They've just come round to speak to me to ask if we could do a better job of keeping on top of our garden. Apparently they keep weeding, but weeds keep growing back, and they think that the seeds are blowing through the fence - so they need us to keep our weeds down as if we didn't have any then neither would they.

Aargh. I don't have time! And it's not awful, it's really not - just not National Trust style immaculate. I waffled something about being busy, hopefully we'd get to it soon, etc etc. They said they hoped that it would be this weekend as their weeds keep growing and they won't have time to weed as much when they're back at work soon. This is a bit bonkers, no? Weeds popping up in flower beds should be expected?

On the plus side, they've never once complained about 3 noisy children having been in the garden a lot for the last 4 months. I'm probably overreacting as I'm at max capacity and not getting through my "to do" list as it is...

They're crazy to assume and tell you that!!! Just smile next time and say, sorry I'm too busy. Gardener should be back soon though!

"They said they hoped it would be this weekend"!!!
How incredibly rude!

Ide get a catapult and a big bag of wild seeds, and fire it out of the upstairs window when they are at work

Batshite crazy neighbours. Tell them you are going for the wild meadow look to support wildlife and don’t give them the time of day after.

One year’s seed, seven years weed. If they have only just done their garden the weeds they will be getting are likely to be the ones that were already in their garden growing back anyway.

"They've just come round to speak to me to ask if we could do a better job of keeping on top of our garden."

My first instinct would be to tell them to fuck off.
But on reflection, I think it would be better say "oh you'd be welcome to come over and do it, you clearly did such a lovely job of your own garden with your free time during lockdown, while we were working full time and home schooling three children".
In a very polite and friendly tone, of course.
While thinking FUCK OFF.

Darn quoted the wrong bit, meant to quote the bit where they said they hoped it would be this weekend! Cheeky fuckers.

If they previously had weeds which flowered then they more likely to be falling foul of the One Year Seeding 7 years Weeding rule. I am guessing your weeds haven't had time to seed and for them to germinate next door in 4 months. If you have an overgrown blackberry bramble then you might be the cause.

They are being absurd. Seeds can be carried miles by the wind or by birds. Plus soil is full of seeds. When they turned over their beds, they will have exposed millions of them. Unless they treated the soil with a flame thrower, they have at least 18 months of their own seeds germinating.

Have they put down a weed proof membrane?

Neither side had ever done much with theirs.

It's much, much more likely that the weed seeds are already in their own soil after years of neglect.

Introduce them to the joys of bark chippings. They stop the weeds from growing.

Buy a 1kg bag of dandelion seeds and throw a handful over the fence once a week 🤣

I think it depends on the weeds. If you have something like Convulvulus, brambles or buttercups near the fence then, due to their nature, they will definitely travel through to next door. Not all weeds are wind-blown or carried by birds.

Unless the weeds are knocking on their door and saying 'hello, we're from next door' they've absolutely no idea where the weeds are coming from; unless, of course, they are the type of weeds mentioned by NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite.

They know nothing about gardening, they've blitzed their garden to perfect and now expect it to stay like that. Gardening is endless maintenance and management, as I hope they will soon grasp OP. Thinking you're somehow the cause of their weeds is just nuts!

I think I would make a concerted effort to sit in your garden all weekend doing nothing. Maybe a bbq, some drinks, kids playing etc but no gardening

I imagine they will be round again "but we did ask if you could sort out your garden " blahblahblah. I would go with the it's a wildlife garden line. My garden is a wildlife garden, lots of seeds blowing around. It's to counter next doors sterile, mowed within a mm of its life lawn.

When new neighbours moved in several years ago, I was pottering in the garden when their FIL asked if I could dig out a climber on 'my side, as it looked a bit untidy, and they had big plans'. I agreed fully, but pointed out I was only doing my annual clipping back of it as the roots actually came from their side, and I hadn't planted it...Its still there now 😂

That made me chuckle OP. If my neighbours said it to me, I'd just chuckle at them and say, new to gardening are you? before wandering off still chuckling.

I think there's no need for spitefulness, as in other ways the neighbours have been good ones. War isn't required.

Some weeds are a real problem for others-bramble, convolvulus and also ground elder and similar-it spreads by runners underground.

Perhaps you could ask your gardener to focus on weeding the beds next time, or ask him to come as a one off to blitz then. It'll pay off for you too, eventually.

Otherwise, if that isn't an option, you could explain how things are, but say that if any area of weeds is a particular problem, you're happy for them to come to your side to cut them back/remove them.

Or but a weed gun, and burn them off.

I'd just point it out that the weeds in your garden cane from their garden in the first place

My neighbours weeds grow into my garden.
Brambles and some plant with evergreen leaves and blue flowers.
More annoying is that they water their lawn by just leaving a hose pipe switched on on it. We're not on a meter here, but that's not the point.

Lalala205 brilliant! Reminds me of one of my neighbours who every so often asks me to deal with the Japanese knotweed that's coming into her garden from mine. Every time I remind that it's not Japanese Knotweed, it's Bindweed, and actually, it's growing from their side.

Tell them this.
A weed is a flower in the wrong place,
a flower is a weed in the right place,
If you were a weed in the right place you would be a flower
but seeing as you're a weed in the wrong place you're only a weed
it's high time someone pulled you out.

But it won't be you
Learnt this at school why I don't know.

I'd have laughed at them and tell them to feel free to de-weed your garden if it's bothering them that much, but you're busy trying to homeschool 3 children and work.

Say 'They're not weeds, they're indigenous plants!' And then pipe on about the wonderful properties of each one. Personally I love nettle soup, bramble tart, we have wild gooseberries and sloe and recently discovered something growing in our lawn is called Heal All.