Neighbours causing such a fuss about ivy! Really?

[Peekaboooooo]

Our neighbours have told us about ivy coming over from our side onto their side at least 5 times in the last couple of months. They are a retired, active couple in their late 70s who maintain their garden well.
Firstly, the ivy was not that bad but we did what they asked and cut some back along the fence. Since then, our neighbour has asked again and has almost sounded a bit rude. He says he doesn't like ivy.
This morning he spoke to my husband again about it and this time my husband had to say that we like ivy and we'd like to keep it. Dh said we'd cut back a bit more but then that's it.
I've checked the fence out carefully this evening, both sides, and I can't understand what the problem is. Any ivy coming through the fence is minimal. Plus they can't even see it because it's behind their shrubs and they can't see that part of the garden from their house. And, it's our fence!

What's really got to me is their attitude towards us. Our neighbour even called my husband lazy once which was so untrue and unfair. We both work, have two young children (one with SEN) and lots of life stuff going on as most people do. Our house isn't perfect and may not be as immaculate as our neighbours but we do our best.

I kind of feel like we're being judged. Sometimes I've noticed our neighbour look up our driveway as he walks past and now I'm wondering what he's thinking.

AIBU or are our neighbours ivy grumbles and criticisms justified?

Such a shame because they've been fine for the most part of living here (nearly 4 years) and have been friendly up until now.

Our neighbor wrecked our fence after leaving metal building site panels lent against it for years. Ivy ran rampant and they couldn't remove their metal part without taking chunks of my fence with it. At one point we seriously considered throwing buckets of weed killer over the fence.

10 too many, I had a brand new fence in my old house. Neighbour planted an ivy despite ripping any off that poked through the fence within 3 years the fence was ruined and my side passageway completed covered in ivy. I feel their pain. Rip it out say sorry and get something else

You're still not listening.
I disliked your casual ageism too.

Honestly OP, do yourself a favour and pull it up and get rid of it. Now you've cut it, it will spread its roots out and may start sprouting on their side. Get yourself a quiet life.

So now we've given the ivy a good cut back on our side and I've checked it's all OK on their side, what do we do now if they say anything more or are rude to us again? Can they make us take it all away? As long as we keep it maintained and it doesn't effect their side, surely they'll just have to put up with the thought of it being there on our side.

If you get rid of the ivy he'll find something else to moan about. If he's reached the point where he's speaking to you in a rude way even though he knows you've made an effort to cut back the ivy, I don't think there's a neighbourly relationship to salvage. Are they actually pointing out parts where it's growing over at their side? It sounds like he's got it into his head that he wants the ivy gone and he's going to keep pushing in the hopes that you'll do what he wants. I doubt regular trimming will be good enough for him. You can do what you like with your garden, although the polite thing to do is not to let your plants/weeds encroach on the neighbour's garden (it doesn't look like you've neglected your garden from the photo you posted).

I spent 10 years cutting a large boundary hedge every 2 months (which took me an hour a time to do and sweep up) to try to stop my neighbour banging on about it. I made the mistake of thinking it's the kind thing to do, as she's retired and seems to spend most of her time gardening. I made a point of cutting my side the same week she did her's so she couldn't moan that I don't cut my hedge. However, then she complained I let too many leaves fall onto her side of the hedge. Rather than pointing this out to me at the time, so I could see what I'd supposedly done 'wrong' and fix it (presumably because there's not much to see), she'd stew over it and blow up at me as soon as she saw me with the hedge trimmer. She's was so unnecessarily rude and aggressive the last time, that I just don't speak to her anymore and I feel like a mug for being so accommodating over the years. I'll cut the hedge a couple of times a year like a normal person and she'll have to deal with looking at an uneven hedge for several months of the year! If she was less crazy, I would offer to pay for a gardener to cut both side of the hedge twice a year and be done with it.

Old people eh?
What can you do?
FFS.

Ignore them OP.
Too much time on their hands.
Sometimes when you give people like this air time, they become entitled.
Ignore them completely and tell them the ivy is staying, end of.

I've had this with our neighbour- I planted ivy because the wall which belongs to our neighbour is not well maintained and is an eyesore. There seem to be plenty of people on this thread that believe they should be able to stop you planting what you like (as long as it's not a prescribed invasive species like Japanese knotweed)- the truth is they can't stop you. Neighbours can be a pain- but you aren't in a US style HOA so they can ask- but you can refuse.
Ivy can damage fences and it can lift mortar- but if you cut it back every season I don't see the problem. My neighbour has even said I must cut down my sycamore tree because water off the leaves drips on his wall, my view is a wall that cannot withstand a little water dripping on it probably needs repointing and is in poor condition-so he can complain, or threaten to sue- I'll tell him to go ahead and have at it. Expecting to be able to change the behaviour and gardens of others because you have opinions about ivy/trees is not reasonable- unless damage will definitely occur.

My mum has had a horrendous problem with ivy encroaching from adjoining land. Completely wrapped itself around mums new wall and is starting to erode it. When I raised it as an issue the people responsible for supposedly maintaining the land actually told me to round up volunteers myself to sort it and they'd lend us the tooks! I took it to the person above them and they must have been spoken to then as they made some effort to remove it but it's already back and an ongoing issue.

The fact you’ve said the ivy is behind their shrubs is admitting it’s travelling into their garden it travels underground too. . I would be annoyed too. Many here say no way to your ivy. Get it out to maintain peace! Bamboo types can be as invasive too!

Well when I was 29 and owned my first flat my garage was next to a fence that the house next door had ivy on. It wasn’t my fence but it ran parallel to parking space. The fence on my side was covered in ivy coming through so I tried to keep it cut back mainly so I could park properly. It wasn’t actually in my garden. Only my parking space. Over the years the fence became more and more distorted due to the ivy. Until one day it fell down on to my car. They were apologetic and put a new fence up and paid for the damage to my car thankfully. But then they let the ivy regrow.
It was also growing up the side wall of my garage and across the roof. I only used my garage for storage and I didn’t go in there that much and at 29 was a bit oblivious to what damage ivy could cause. One day when I did it was like a jungle in there!! It was covering the side wall and through the roof! I had to spend money getting a professional out to clear it from the roof and walls. (Photos attached are the fence when I moved in and the company I paid clearing my garage roof)
I moved house. I’m now 39. I would definitely complain if I get the same situation again. But I guess I must be really old to get bothered about it. Can I retire now then?

Tell them ivy is incredibly valuable for biodiversity, providing food and shelter to myriad insects and bird life. Honestly I hate people. We're all doomed.

Ivy is a miracle for wildlife and biodiversity. Growing ivy is recommended by the Wildlife Trusts. Some people like to garden as if it’s still 1950. Take no notice.

I am afraid that as has been said, 'You're not listening to people', is true, almost all replies have been to the effect of how invasive and destructive ivy can be, take notice and perhaps respect your neighbours and cut it back, it is an awful pain to get rid of once established.

OP has said she's cut back the ivy and the neighbour is still complaining. She's even included a photo where you can barely see the ivy.

I personally don't like the stuff and pull it up whenever I find it in my garden. My neighbour likes it though and I wouldn't tell them they need to remove every trace just to accommodate my preferences. They haven't done any maintenance to some of their ivy in years and it's literally a once a month job to go and pull up any which is growing through their fence onto my side.

Seems like a ridiculous thing for the neighbour to cause an argument over, especially since the OP has said she's helped him out in the past. Maybe I should ban birds from my garden, as some of them have pooped some cherry seeds which have since grown into a tree which is proving difficult to dig up.

It's none of the above. It's the ivy. My neighbours have destroyed my fence with the total lack of maintenance. You need to get rid of all of it or they will keep piping up about it.

If you haven't got the time to continually prune it back, make time to get rid of it. Ivy is very invasive and can cause damage. I am on the side of your neighbour, you need to do something about it. You are at fault here...

Ivy is so invasive. I understand you like it but it will encroach everywhere into your neighbours garden/ boundaries.. the roots will go deep so yes you need to control it! Personally I can’t stand the stuff so I’m with your neighbours on this one! My neighbour has bamboo & it’s been found 15 feet away in the far side of my back garden! Their complaints are valid!

I can relate to these certain types of neighbours who just become more demanding and unreasonable the more you do to try to keep them happy. After my own similar experience I too advocate just doing what you need to do and perhaps find out your legal position and use that as your rule as to what you will do and what you won’t.

As the fence is yours it’s up to you what you grow on it on either side. Ivy is not illegal to grow in your garden. Your neighbour has the right to cut back to the boundary any plant with roots on your side that grows over their side. They do not have the right to touch your fence though, not even the side that faces them so maybe they’re conscious of this and that’s why they’re asking you to do it? Maybe they’re just not very nice.

If however you knew the ivy was a risk (which you do) to their property, IF it causes damage in the future to anything on their property or injures one of them because something fell down say and crushed one of them because the ivy with roots on your side damaged its structural integrity then you could be in legal hot water. It doesn’t sound like that’s likely, but be aware.

Id also be talking to them about their bamboo the next time they complain,
”Hi neighbour, thanks for letting us know about the ivy, clearly everything we do to keep it under control isn’t meeting your expectations so we’re going to get it removed. While I’ve got you, can we talk about your bamboo. Can you trim it back please and make sure it doesn’t cross our boundary line anymore. There’s been a lot in the press recently about how some varieties can do significant damage to neighbouring houses and gardens. Who knew eh! Because of that, we would also like confirmation that it’s not the invasive type that could come into our garden please from an expert in writing. As it’s in your garden and your responsibility I’ll let you get on and arrange all that. Thanks”

Still, if I were you I’d remove the Ivy, poison it properly at the stump with a systemic herbicide so the root system dies properly.
Well, I think I’ve heard everything now.: ivy is so bad that a known human carcinogen is preferable, even where there are young children.

They categorically cannot make you take it away. It is your garden and you may grow whatever you like in it. They cannot even make you you cut it back! If it protrudes into their side THEY can cut it back. They are being ridiculous!

I just spray it with RoundUp now. Great idea. Kill the wildlife, poison the soil, sicken the children and pets and give the neighbours cancer. It may be Agent Orange, but at least it’s not IVY!
https://www.pan-uk.org/glyphosate/

Then that's 10 too many.
Its invasive and causes damage.
Cut it back so its not touching or encroaching on their side of the fence at all.
YABU.

I hate ivy with a passion, its an invasive pain in the arse, our neighbours have it, it pokes thorough our fence, It's climbing on my trees etc. I'd love to put a match to the lot of it.

This isn’t the legal standpoint. There’s no specific black and white law about ivy in the U.K.; it’s not covered by law like Japanese Knotweed. BOTH sides of the fence belong to the OP. Even if it caused significant damage to the neighbour’s property somehow beyond the OP’s fence a court is highly likely to find that the neighbour is expected to be vigilant in protecting their own property and not just leave it to damage their property when they have the right to stop the nuisance by cutting it back to the boundary line.