Help with this area please....overcrowded?

[HandsFaceSpace]

Here comes photo.

So, my history is a series of past spats with neighbour on left over his developments in his garden (think two successful objections to planning permission in the past followed by unsuccessful objection after the rules in our area were relaxed). Mercifully these have faded over the years (took a long time as the person holds grudges) and we managed to cooperate quite successfully on another part of the border over the summer. Because of this history I think I have overplanted and over-gated and over-screened. It looks great in May andJune but just overgrown/confused the rest of the time.

If you look at the photo, I’m thinking I should:
1 remove the pear tree behind the lavender because it doesn’t belong in a raised bed and it could go further down towards the Roman.
2 removethe gate-post
3 replace the cheap support for the rambling rose with something sturdier to be put in by a tradesman
4 put a newer lavender in at foot of rose because I think the lavender looks a bit elderly.
5 ask neighbour to agree removal of rotten trellis and suggest he can replace
6 remove ivy (I love ivy but he hates it so it just creates hassle and he tends to react with harsher/stronger fencing)

I’d really appreciate advice. We don’t know if we’ll be moving in next year or so so it would be good to make it more estate-agent friendly.

Also, any inspiration for ideas that both sides will like are welcome. We love traditional stuff, they like “neat” -it’s just not worth fighting about any more.....

Roman is a auto correct for Rowan.

More photos on their way

Photos....

I like crowded :) . I think before I started to get radical and moving things I would give everything a good cut back first because it has got a bit jungly. I would however get rid of all the ivy, I like ivy in moderation and keep some for the birds and late pollen value, but it is untidy and draws the eye away from the nicer stuff. You might also find your neighbour more amenable to replacing the trellis if you compromise on the ivy. With the ivy gone you will also have space for other planting, either herbaceous perennials for summer colour or maybe some of the taller less invasive ornamental grasses which would give you height without being aggressive if you see what I mean and would also have some interesting shapes and colours in the autumn/winter months.

Lavender is tricky, that’s a great sized bush which it would be a shame to lose, but it’s not easy to cut back old lavender into old wood and keep it alive, I would give it a go though, if it kills it off you could replace it.

That pile of bricks, sorry the wall, is crying out for sedums and other crevice loving plants to fill up the gaps and spaces.You can get terrific colours with sedum and succulent varieties and even simple little plants like aubretia, alyssum and campanula would look pretty.I rather like the old gate and would probably leave it.

You have a lot of empty pots that also need a little something. Bulbs for spring and a rethink for next summer?

How hard would it be to move the pear? If it seems relatively happy I would leave it, again it’s giving you some height without being ostentatious about it. Maybe a bit of reshaping and opening up would be enough.

That’s a nice reply thank you. It’s just got dark now but will post updated pics tomorrow.
We actually have room for a table! Who knew? :)

The problem is that what looks luxuriant in bloom can simply look unkempt in winter. I would remove the lavender and replace with one or more smaller ones, perhaps somewhere else in the garden. It's overhanging the area where you have the pots and therefore looking out of control. You could then get rid of the stone you have propping up its stem - if you can have the top of the wall level it will look like a cared-for dry stone wall rather than one which needs attention.

I'd leave the pear tree where it is.

I'd define the boundaries of the ivy. Keep it on the fence, don't allow it in the flower bed. To my eye, ivy always looks nicer as single stems trailing over a surface - the first few trailers up a tree trunk for example - it looks lovely over your log. As well as confining it, you could thin it out too, by cutting out whole branches. I'd do it by cutting stems at the base and tugging hard, but that may not be the best way.

I live in an area with similar architecture, and I don't find the wall as untidy as a previous poster, so presumably local estate agents and buyers wouldn't. Can't necessarily say the same for out-of-area buyers - when we moved here 30 years ago, I was thinking "if I inherit lots of money, I'll get this stonework cleaned" - now, having clean honey-coloured stone in this old mill town just seems wrong to me .

Another great reply. I really appreciate this because the reasons we may have to move are rather distressing (nothing to do with ancient planning permission spats). The feelings come in waves so my head isn’t always clear. The gardening is both soothing/therapeutic in itself and also part of the journey towards a jollier future :)

Will post update pics later but I’ve moved the pear. Will show you its new location. Planning-application-neighbour reset all the top stones of the wall so they are 100%lined up on his side but there is an ugly ledge on our side :(. Low fruit trees are the best way to camouflage it I think

I feel a bit bad about reducing the wildlife habitat but this is the best time of year to do that I think.

Update including pear in new home...

Pear now between plum and Rowan.

The green ring on the earth is around the cut-back lavender which showed signs of regeneration at its base.

I wonder if a climbing rose in that bed would be better and keep the lavender in pots beneath?

I think you've transformed it! It looks so much better wioth the ivy cut back.

If you're moving, I wouldn't bother to do any more planting of structural stuff. I'd go for spring bulbs and summer annuals for colour, seat peas or something more exciting like Mina lobata if you want height. I'd be concentrating on buying stuff for you to enjoy in your final few months in the house, not spending out more for the benefit of the new owner.

Keep the pear well watered next year, especially in spring now our springs seem to be so much drier.

Thankyou, you are kind :)