My neighbour and her tree

[Cherryblossom200]

Hi there,

I'm looking for a bit of advice please. I live next to an elderly lady who has a massive tree in her garden. It's approx 15 metres if not more tall and is approx 3 metres from the start of my property. It's huge and bushy, It's a horn beam so it's very bushy when it has leaves on it.

I moved into my property about 6 years ago, in that time she's had it pruned once, it hardly made a difference to the tree tbh. And very quickly the branches ended up on my side again.

The issue I have is due to where the sun comes round, she gets all the daylight/sun and the majority of the year we get very little.

I've lived without complaining about it other than to ask if I could cut back the branches which end up on my property and she said I wasn't allowed to. So I've left it. I've always tried to keep the peace and avoid conflict with her.

I'm in the process of having an extension done to the back of my house, it's single storey so doesn't block any of her light or sun. However we are now even closer to the tree, some branches are almost half way across my garden and already starting to block my new guttering.

My garden has lost all of its grass and is water logged from all the leaves, it's a nightmare and unusable.

I tried talking to her about it today, and she said she will prune it when the leaves fall off. I tried explaining the impact it has on us, and she dismissed it by saying I shouldn't of moved to a property next to a tree if I didn't like it.

All I want is the tree to be made smaller. My greatest concern is if a branch falls on my child or myself when we are in the garden, and also it gets uprooted in a storm.

I've sent her a polite, yet firm message today. Explaining the impact it has on our quality of life, and that due to its size and proximity to our houses (they are only small 2 beds!) it needs to be made into a smaller, safer size. I emphasised wanting not to upset her, cause conflict and to keep the beauty of the tree.

If she doesn't listen, what other steps are there for me?

Before anyone jumps down my throat, I absolutely love nature. This isn't about chopping down the tree. It's about getting a happy compromise that works for us both, but first and foremost keeping us safe.

Not everyone would be disappointed to have trees overhanging into their garden. Many people I know who aren't Philistines want trees and the beauty/privacy they bring. It's certainly preferable than having an ugly fence or brick wall/extension to look at.

Have you had legal advice OP or are you a lawyer?

I found this which suggests that right to light is limited.

www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/trees/the-law

Whatever was there before doesn't really matter, as trees grow! Precisely! So it’s foolish to buy a house expecting the tree to stay the same size.

dh did it.

large garden with a field on the other side of the garden wall, so no dange of hitting houses/sheds
The tree is close to the wall, so easy access to the tree by standing on the wall!
Mind you it has since doubled in height again and I am not sure that he would be game to do it now.

The tree really needs to come out as it is too close to the garden wall. But we like it!

I do know that the cost of dealing with one tree is usually hundreds

Me neighbour asked my tree surgeon today for a quote to do her tree 👍😊

That's good @Cherryblossom200 Hopefully she will get them to do the work

That's a good update OP 🤞🏻

Thanks! I had all my conifers pulled up today. My garden is huge now and so much lighter! But I need to buy a pretty tree myself now, one that will grow pretty fast but not like a hornbeam 😂

It won't be on our boundary. It will be near a fence which doesn't back onto another house. It's mainly to make the garden look pretty. But also to give us privacy at the back of the garden.

I definitely don't want a tree my neighbours size. It's way too big. I was thinking something which has blossom and is pretty. Any ideas?

I'm so grateful for everyone's advice! x

Ohh how exciting. Some evergreens seem to suck in light like black holes in the garden. How about you drive around your neighbourhood and see what trees other people have in their gardens. Maybe google street view could help you visualise what they look like in other seasons.

Have a look at flowering cherry trees. They are beautiful and you can choose one with the growth habit you prefer (spreading, upright etc).
Their leaves are lovely as they change in autumn too.

I was thinking of a cherry tree. I don't want a tree to become massive ideally. Now that I can see sky at last I'd like to not hide it again!

Do the leaves drop in autumn? Just thinking we will then lose privacy in winter months. So I put put a cherry tree in the corner and an ever free tree to use as privacy. Some have red leaves which looks stunning x

Sorry meant to say ever green tree.

Cherry trees whilst looking lovely for a couple of weeks are a right pain in the bum when they drop their flowers , you have lots of pink petals in the garden / on the road & paths that go brown and then to sludge in the rain.

This is Excellent advice . Make sure the letter is dated and that you have a copy to prove that she is aware of the danger to your property

What about an evergreen tree? Something which doesn't drop leaves and blossom?

I love green beech. Not evergreen but the leaves turn brown and tend to hang on until the new growth comes in in the spring.
It's too big as a tree for your needs but grown as a hedge it would provide you with the privacy you want. It would be more expensive though as you'd need as many as the space you have dictates and you would also have to trim it, so more maintenance too.

Evergreen magnolia? Not your standard evergreen tree, far prettier.

Winter flowering cherry. Sometimes privacy isn’t necessary, just the feeling of privacy, so looking at a tree full of flowers in winter distracts from the possibility of people beyond.

Holly. Can be variegated. You need a female plant for berries, don’t be misled by names, Golden King is female and Silver Queen is male.

Evergreen trees do drop leaves, but all the year round rather than altogether in the autumn. Evergreen means the tree is always green, not that the individual leaves last forever.

Ah thanks so much for all your help! I had no idea ever green didn't drop their leaves.

Ideally I'd love a tree with red leaves 🍁 I'm going to the garden centre today. I have a blank canvas now and want to fill it with beautiful shrubs, a few trees here and there. And just just make it looks less baron 😂

I have a 7 year old so I now have space for her to play which is great! But need privacy. I'm a single mum, so trying to maintain/prune huge trees isn't an option for me! x

I know nothing about gardening but I do love Japanese gardens - how about a variety of Japanese Maple?

Do you want red all year or red In autumn? For me, the joy of plants is the changing seasons, so something which changes leaf colour is ideal. But even our red Japanese maple goes from brownish red to pure red in autumn.

Japanese maple sounds beautiful! I'll take a look 😊

I’m sorry but your wishy washy note is only gleeful fodder for someone who clearly doesn’t give a shit about anyone else and possibly even takes pleasure from your suffering. Some people really are bitter.

’Lets be friends’ has got you nowhere with her and never will.

I would cease all contact with her and do what is legal to cut, chop and remove the parts of the tree that you are entitled to.

Make sure you get sound legal advise and use a professional to do the job.

If she tries having a go at you, be firm and state you have given her enough chances over the years and it’s basically tough titty.

Set the example to your daughter that by acting like a doormat you get horrible people like your neighbour wiping their feet on you but by standing up for yourself you get to enjoy your garden.