Neighbours growing plants on fence

[Whateveritsallmadnow]

It's their fence, its broken and rotten so they are trying to hide it. Looks awful our side, we would just replace it and pay if they can't afford to but there plants are just going to wreck that too. Anything we can do we have spoken with them.

Well if they’re only growing the plants to hide the rotten fence, then surely if you offered to pay for a new fence on the condition they don’t grow plants on the new one, that’d solve it!

No not going to work, they seem to like brambles we've tried that approach

Well then there isn’t anything you can do - but if the plants are only growing on their side a new fence should last a long time even if they plant new plants. Our neighbors grow ivy on our shared fence and it’s been fine for 10 years now

Lucky you

Put your own fence up, so you can't see theirs.

You can’t stop someone growing someone on their own fence obviously. Just build your own fence in front of it on your land. No need for a confrontation.

Think it may come to that annoying as we will have to bring it into our garden by about a foot so it doesn't get effected by their brambles. It's just a shame when we could have nice easy resolution. Just want peaceful life.

Are plastic fences a thing? Cheap, basic plastic fence then your own, decent wood fence right in front of plastic fence? Brambles won’t get through a plastic fence

I have the same problem but Ivy. I cut it back every few weeks so it doesn't get out of hand. I often think I could be spending my time doing other things, it's frustrating so I understand. If you put a fence in front the brambles will grow through that eventually. I'm considering some serious tree stump killer to kill it off.

I don't see why you would need to build your fence a foot away from theirs. If you built a fence closer to theirs and their brambles started growing on to your fence on your property you are legally entitled to cut the stems that overhang onto your property back. So long as you aren't reducing height or damaging roots.

Is there a reason I should maintain my neighbours choice of overgrown plants, I'm wanting to do the correct thing, just curious. You could put it on par with me throwing oil and rubbish over their wall and expecting them to deal with it and tidy it.

Have you invited them over to your side to trim it?

Yes

I'm sorry to say this but if it's brambles a foot gap will soon be breached.

I know thank you, it's why we aren't wasting money yet and hoping neighbours become kind and do right thing, you never know 💞

If it's encroaching on your property, trim it back. Look on it not as maintaining their plant, but protecting your property.

Sadly they're not obliged to have a fence- they can have a hedge, or chicken wire, or even just bits of string between posts.

If you want a fence, you can put one on your land. Doesn't have to be a foot in- trim back any encroaching stems/twigs, and erect your own fence within a couple of inches of the boundary (ensuring posts are entirely on your side.)

You can't stop your neighbours from growing what they like on their own property. All you can do is cut it back so it's not on your side - there are very few exceptions, and brambles aren't one.

If you want a new fence, go ahead and install one on your property.

Fence is on boundary line half theirs half ours so not quite as easy without loosing space on our property. Thanks for info realise we they don't have to have fence so maybe that's what will happen when fence collapses, be nicer to look at for sure, hopefully no one's kids or animals escape via our garden 😂

Just wish people were considerate

Even if you fit your own fence on your own land, it's pointless leaving a one foot gap. Brambles will quickly bridge that gap and come through your fence. Keep chopping back the brambles and anything else they grow as and when it comes through onto your side.

Oh dear. The weedkiller you used for the weeds on your side of the fence has accidentally got on the weeds on their side.

Put a fence your side to hide it

I don't think there's much you can do unfortunately. My neighbour is similar; ivy, brambles and bindweed constantly growing over, the ivy has taken the paintwork off my wall and chokes my plants if I don't keep on top of it. They abandoned a section of their garden which backs on to ours. They've done nothing to keep it under control during the last decade I've lived here and it's now starting to grow over our 6 foot fence. I trim back what I can, but the fence is getting pushed over every few months.

I think I'm going to keep the fence and plant a hedge in front of it. I expect eventually the weeds will choke the hedge if they continue to leave it as a wasteland, but I'm not sure what else I can try.

Just keep pruning the brambles back on your side every week or two. Vigilance is the only thing that works (although the plants will respond by getting spikier)

They can grow whatever they like in their garden, and some people like a wild brambly type garden. It’s good for wildlife.

You can put a second fence a few inches in from the collapsing one but the brambles will still encroach. It’s what they do.

Both my neighbours grow ivy on their side of the fence (I'm the middle detached of three detached cottages) and I spend a bit of time every other weekend during the spring and summer trimming it back. It's fine. Annoying, but it doesn't take long. It is damaging the fences unfortunately, but they are both great neighbours otherwise so it's not a hill I'm going to die on. Just keep on top of cutting it back.