to go and cut some plants in my neighbours garden?

[StripyDog]

I have a hedge in my front garden that borders my neighbours driveway. I cut the hedge every year, have done since we moved in 10+ years ago, usually around this time of year when it stops flowering.

I bumped in to my neighbour the other day and said I’d be cutting the hedge soon - it was about 6” or so over her drive.

This morning she has butchered it! Not only has she cut the bit that was overhanging on her drive, which I know she is perfectly entitled to do, she has cut quite a lot off the top. Badly! It’s at different levels and now looks ridiculous!

I can’t decide if I should just ignore her from now on, go and ask what the hell she’s playing at, or just wander over to her garden and start hacking at her shit plastic flowers?

What??

@GiveMeSomeWaterItsHot Which bit are you incredulous about? The fact she’s cut my hedge, the fact that I’ve made a lighthearted thread about doing the same to her or that fact she’s got shit plastic flowers in her garden?

'It was about 6" or so over her drive'

Have I read that right, that it was taking up 6 foot of space on her driveway? If so yabvu not to have sorted this a LOT sooner

No, that would be 6'. 6" is inches.

@WorldMap24 six inches...

6 inches. Definitely not 6 feet!

Are plastic flowers in gardens a thing now? How odd.

The plastic flowers look terrible. They’re not even decent ones. You can tell they’re plastic from the top of the road. She’s got them in hanging baskets, wall baskets, pots and I’m sure she got some actually planted!

My neighbour has fake hanging ball things and flowers in a wall hanging basket with multicolour solar lights . It looks shite!

Are you able to tidy it up @StripyDog ?

She's plant phobic obvs. Some people are tree phobic (as evidenced in here) some people anything that grows. Weirdos 😆

I'd deffo have a word, just ask her why And point out that she obviously doesn't like gardening so it probably best if she leaves it to you in the future...

@HotelCustody Yes, I can tidy it up. I needed to cut it anyway, but I’m still torn between being pissed off that she’s cut the top which is very much on my land or amused that she’s obviously got nothing else going on that’s she’s got herself in a tizz about a bit of greenery that I already told her I’d sort out!

Ha! Love that 😂 Will definitely make a point of her faded plastic plants if I pop round.

God help me I'd probably have to say something. But what?
Er - thanks for making a start on the hedge for me, are you taking up topiary? Presuming she probably doesn't know what topiary is.

Why do people do this? Fair enough cut the overhanging - shock horror 6inches! - but to go on to cut your hedge in your garden is just bloody trespassing and damaging your property.
Commiserations @StripyDog.

I really don’t understand fake plants and particularly fake hanging baskets. He colours are so artificial.

Me neither. One of her baskets has got cactus type things. Obviously they’d grow year round in the UK heat?! And some of the baskets are just really generic looking flowers. The type that kids draw. Nothing that you could say that’s supposed to be a rose, or whatever.

I’d cut up the plastic plants, because they were plastic and look awful, regardless of the damage to the hedge.

Just go round and remind her that legally the hedge is yours and what she cut went over the property line.

Did she cut the top so that she can see better when driving off her driveway? Maybe it wasn't safe anymore. Although, even so, she should have said something to you when you said you'd be trimming it soon.

It’s criminal damage to cut anything other than the overhanging bits and she is supposed to offer you the trimmings back as they are yours. Bit over the top. But it’s the legal position.

I would go ask her not to cut anything unless it overhangs.

I’d go round and say something, “just to be clear you are only entitled to cut MY plant to maintain it from going over to your property. Any other problems give me a shout”

my next door neighbour snaps branches off my buddlieah if he decides it’s too far over the pavement, makes me want to snap part of his anatomy off but I’m not sure I’d find it

Do you think she might have been trying to be helpful? If you’ve been doing it regularly and said you would do it again soon, she might have thought it was time she took a turn, and that it would save you a job.

Then, as she’s clearly not much of a gardener, she’s made a bit of a pig’s ear of it, but from lack of practice not out of malice.

Yes, maybe that was her thinking, but it’s still my property and I can grow it to 6 feet tall if I choose! Doesn’t give her the right to cut it.

Maybe she was making a point. Keep your hedge in order because if she has to do it.....its gonna be shit.

Well if it blocks their view from the car when leaving the driveway then it's a road hazard. You really need to keep on top of that before anyone becomes injured or worse. Neighbour still should have said something but lots of people are scared of conflict.

She can make a point all she wants. If she’s going to mess about with my hedge, I’ll grow it to 10 feet tall!

There doesn’t appear to be a legal maximum height for hedges in front gardens, only fences.

I was at home. She could easily have knocked on the door and spoken to me if it was an issue. Instead she’s annoyed me! And, if I want to be really ridiculous, caused criminal damage to my hedge!