To put weedkiller in a water pistol and nuke neighbours lillies?

[Mumteedum]

Obviously I won't. I just want to vent.

Next door neighbour is a gifted gardener. He grows monster lillies. Each plant is 7-8 feet high (it's above the fence). The plant nearest my house is right next to the fence and about 2 metres from my back door.

I can count over 20 budding flowers already in the bit above the fence. There are at least 6 of these plants..maybe more. So I would estimate that each plant must have up to 80 flower heads. That's 480 liliies.

Its hot and I need windows open but I'm sat wheezing and I've got a headache. I never have to take my inhaler apart from now.

My house stinks of them.

Can I nuke them? Please 🙏 😁

Ugh I hate lilies so agree with you OP

@TheQueef

Are they too close *@Whatamesssss*? I've put them all high in pots and cut the pollen out so ranging cats can't brush against, is it still dangerous?

Yes, every part of a lily plant is toxic.

I know it is unlikely, but they could eat some of the leafs. Best not to take the chance. But then again, I am over anxious about my cats

If lilies are so toxic to cats I don’t understand why my cats have lived to at least 16 years in spite of them being in the garden, in bouquets etc. None of the neighbour’s cats seem to be struggling either. Perhaps the cats have more sense than their humans, and don’t try climbing up the stems to get at the poisonous pollen….. Obviously you shouldn’t leave them at their level but commanding the world to not grow them is taking it a bit far.

mumteedum As they are in pots I would definitely politely let him know how it is affecting you. I have pots of lilies that I love and I wouldn’t hesitate to move them if an allergic or even slightly hysterical cat owning neighbour asked me. Also as he must know it is only the oriental lillies that smell strongly, asiatic lilies have no smell and look just as good. So he could easily switch to those for his display next year…..

I'm allergic to cats but no kills the blighters off to help me.

So YABVVU use antihistamine etc

It might be a good idea to try to get a telephone consultation with a doctor since you're having such a strong reaction. You can't live this way in your own home.

Can some medical personnel prescribe strong anti histamines, painkillers and asthma medication for you?

PS: My DMum always loved lillies all over the house. They really offended my hyper sensitive sense of smell as a youngster!

I grow lilies on one side of my garden and if that neighbour told me it gave her hayfever I absolutely would be happy to move them. Hope your expert gardener neighbour is equally reasonable OP.

@TheTallOakTrees

I'm allergic to cats but no kills the blighters off to help me.

So YABVVU use antihistamine etc

Other peoples cats wouldn't be there for weeks or possibly months at a time though.

If I was OPs neighbour I'd be horrified if I found out my plants were causing her to need to take a pile of extra medication and avoid her garden. Yes, there's lots of crap situations we all just have to live with, but in this case it's easy to change. I don't think I'm unusually reasonable, surely most people wouldn't want their neighbour to suffer debilitating symptoms when moving a few plants would prevent it?

[quote Porcupineintherough]@Warmduscher any cat owner who is worried about the safety of their cat can take steps to keep them in their own property. If they care so little they fail to do this, why should I mind? Do all our gardens have to be safe for all our beighbours children and pets now, in case they fancy a wander?[/quote]
Let’s hope your dogs don’t ever run out into the road in front of a driver with the same attitude to you about pet safety.

I'd probably buy a new house 😂 what a shame though, I've had to throw a few bouquets out because of the smell. Absolute reeking cat piss fuckers.

@Warmduscher cats arent getting out they are being let out. By people who apparently think this is a fine way to treat an animal you are supposedly fond of. I'm old enough to remember when dogs were treated like this too. That stopped being acceptable a while back, bought time cat owners caught up.

They aren't oriental tree lilies, they are martagon lilies.

I love lilies and cats. I've never known a cat to get lily poisoning and I come from 3 generations of lily growing, multiple cat owners cat ladies I don't think the risk was widely known until recently. Realistically, whether your garden is full of beautiful cultivated flowers or just weeds, there will be plants in it that are toxic to pets if they eat them unless you just have a totally sterile, wildlife-unfriendly plastic lawn. Tomatoes are just as toxic but nobody ever suggests no one grows tomatoes in case cats eat the leaves.

The biggest risk is from the pollen getting on to their fur and the cat licking it off. If he is a keen gardener, I would assume he is deadheading the flowers and picking up any fallen flowers so they don't spoil the look of his lovely garden. Unless a cat is sitting under the flowers repeatedly beating the stems until the pollen drops off, it is unlikely to get any pollen on it. It can't accidentally brush against a flower that is 6 feet in the air. Most cases of lily poisoning are from lilies in a vase. They are a far bigger risk as they are cat height.

I'm sure he won't mind if you ask him to move the pots. You can get pollen free tree lilies that he could grow there instead, so he doesn't need to spoil his garden design.

www.hartsnursery.co.uk/Orange-Marmalade.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw3MSHBhB3EiwAxcaEuyM6VoFSO_eL5Wq_pdVNlu4kPM-FdF2XSb7QrtrAXSN3-iGEd3jqPxoCTC0QAvD_BwE

www.thompson-morgan.com/p/tree-lilyreg-crystal-collection/p92241TM?source=aw&affid=4255&awc=2283_1614850054_688d7914c76b38cd028a62cb198f5035

Thanks Whata I've got an even higher place I can move them to, I do actually tidy the dropped petals etc (even though you can't tell from the pic)
I didn't have a good relationship with Dmum so I do try to keep her beloved plants going.
Probably be cathartic to chuck the smelly fuckers away along with my bloody baggage
Sorry for the derail Mumtee

I actually did spray weed killer on a neighbour's plants a few years back. The bugger had leaned over my fence and cut something back that was not on their property

An eye for an eye

YANBU they stink!

OP it's not the flower that stinks it's the pollen. Dampen a tissue or kitchen roll, grab the orange blobs of pollen and gently pull. They will come away, safely in the tissue.
The damp tissue means the pollen won't spill onto your hands/clothes. Bin the tissue. Smell gone.

Lilies now look nice but no stink.

Happy to help 😊

@SilverOak

A single lily does not have 80 flower heads, you’re exaggerating. And you can’t insist that neighbours appease you by not growing any flowers in their own garden. Take a Piriton or something.

A single tree lily can have 30 flowers, which is a lot!

Horrible flowers, they stink of funeral parlour

@GrrrlPwr

OP it's not the flower that stinks it's the pollen. Dampen a tissue or kitchen roll, grab the orange blobs of pollen and gently pull. They will come away, safely in the tissue. The damp tissue means the pollen won't spill onto your hands/clothes. Bin the tissue. Smell gone.

Lilies now look nice but no stink.

Happy to help 😊

But they're in his garden not mine. I'm not Mr Tickle... I can't reach!

This thread is cheering me up though. Top tips, swearing and encouragement. Lovely vipers.

[quote Porcupineintherough]@Warmduscher cats arent getting out they are being let out. By people who apparently think this is a fine way to treat an animal you are supposedly fond of. I'm old enough to remember when dogs were treated like this too. That stopped being acceptable a while back, bought time cat owners caught up.[/quote]
Cats roam - it’s in their nature. People don’t let them out because they’re not “fond” of them. We let them out because it’s good for them to be outside, getting exercise and satisfying their natural instinct to explore.

I understand if your dogs get harassed by cats that you would prefer that all cats were indoor cats, but thats not going to happen any time soon so you may as well find a way to live with it and spray them with water when they come into your garden.

Since the lilies are closed buds, its not them causing your symptoms.

@2bazookas

Since the lilies are closed buds, its not them causing your symptoms.

I know the smell from last year and although those pictured aren't out yet, there are I think 5 other pots with them in too. The ones further away are out so I think that's what I can smell. It's worse in evening it seems.

Ask your neighbour to remove the pollen? I don't see why he wouldn't

Cats roam - it’s in their nature. People don’t let them out because they’re not “fond” of them. We let them out because it’s good for them to be outside, getting exercise and satisfying their natural instinct to explore.

Then you're happy for them to explore the potentially poisonous plants in random people's gardens.

It's no more in the nature of cats to roam than it is for dogs, or horses or tortoises. When we make an animal our pet we circumscribe its nature for our own ends.

porcupine You obviously don’t have a cat. Dogs can be trained not to roam, cats cannot. Indeed they don’t feel they owe you anything. It is why you don’t have guide cats for the blind or mountain rescue cats or sheep cats - herding them also being impossible

In any case the cat population of the U.K. seems to hold up just fine in spite of roaming tendencies making them so vulnerable to the murderous gardeners attempts to poison them….