Neighbour's shrubs blocking our light

[QueenoftheNights]

I think I know the answer to this already but....

neighbours- been there about 6 years and are nice enough- have planted 3 buddleias right alongside the dividing fence between us at the front. Every year they grow to around 12 ft high and also spill over into my tiny front garden.

I know what I can do- cut off the overhanging branches and give back (ha ha) but the real issue is the shrubs are cutting out almost all my light in the dining room (it's north facing, window is close to the fence and we have a garage in front of the window, so reduced light anyway.)

It's not too bad in winter as they prune them, but in summer and autumn I need to put the light on in the dining room due to loss of light.

I have a feeling they might move before too long anyway- is there anything we could do with new neighbours or even these ones?

Ask them if they would keep them shorter?

that's a tricky one because all the flowers are at the end of the branches, so if they chop them, they will lose all of them. I think they don't know much about gardening because they really only needed to plant one to fill the gap- there are three in a row down a 6 ft fence panel. The previous occupant of their house used to get all cross with us (she was very very old) because she didn' tlike any shrub (back garden) growing above 6 ft - height of fence- and she said it was a 'rule'. Our shrubs were nowhere nr her house anyway...but it made me wonder if there is a right to light (I think there is....) but don't want to offend them.

You don't have a right to light as such. Speak with them - explain how it's affecting you. Keep it civil and friendly. Just yesterday I hacked down a buddleia which was growing right up against our living room window but the huge root will need digging out too. Planted by the previous owners who loved wildlife but weren't around enough to keep on top of everything.

Ask if you can chop it right down for them in the winter. It will still have flowers next year but lower down. Or you could chop it to say 3 ft and it will flower at about 6-7ft

Did they really plant them? Buddleia are weeds.

That’s a tad harsh, PeckhamPauline! Buddleias attract butterflies and bees, and several attractive colours of buddleia are sold by garden centres. They’re easy to grow and are good as tall plants at the back of borders.

You (they) could hack it right down and it will still come back with flowers (they are very tough plants) so seems reasonable to ask for them to do so.

I'm still reeling from the fact people actually choose to plant buddleias...

They won't go away easily and will suck all the moisture away from the other plants in your garden.

I realise the bees and butterflies like them, but surely the fact that every railway line in the country is a massive buddleia corridor is enough for those little guys!

Buddleias are excellent plants for pollinators - the fact that they self-seed all over railway embankments is another matter! They should be cut back hard in the spring, so that they stay more compact. Mine flowers at about 4ft-ish.

There are many different types of them though and not all are invasive. Planted correctly and in the right variety they are fine. I've two, but a huge three acre garden, they haven't self seeded anywhere else in the four years I've been here. The previous owners planted them, so I don't know how old they are, and although I'm not a massive fan, they are decorative enough in their location.

I'd advise your neighbour to hard prune them at the end of the season.

You have a right in tort law to light. This is why people can't build extensions that block light. Not sure how it applies to shrubs though. Maybe just pop round and explain to them that they are blocking all the light to your dining room and ask them to cut back the bushes more this winter so that they don't grow so tall next summer.

Yes, I’d never bother with the bog standard, rampantly self-seeding mauve one because it’s not a colour I like, but some of the white and deep purple ones are lovely. Not that this helps OP!

I have managed to inadvertently kill a Buddleia this year. didn't think that was possible. I could lovingly tend you neighbours Buddleia for a while - that would almost certainly solve the problem.

My issue with them is they die badly. You really need to cut them back or they just look like ugly dead things after the flowers die. Or mine do. Sigh. But they fill a space, look pretty in flower, and as said, mine haven't self seeded anywhere. If you've a big space to fill they work if you use the right variety,

Sounds like the ops have been planted too close together and not managed appropriately.

I need to know how you killed it... we have one which grows no matter what. Have chopped it, dug it out, poured bleach on the cut stem, drilled holes in the root. Nothing kills it!

They have planted 3 (or maybe 2- can't tell) right next to each other. In the winter they cut them back but not right down (I've never had any but my parents, who have a huge garden, used to cut theirs down to around 2 feet.) The neighbour cuts hers down so it' s still 6ft and therefore is over 12 ft when in flower.

It won't make any difference to them; it's not providing any privacy as they are at the side of their garden at the front, well away from their house, and- complicated, we are both detached with different entrances from the street (they are up a track so although we are next door, we don't share any communal access of the road.)

If they were around 7-8 ft high in full bloom that would be fine but they are blocking light not only from my dining room but also two roses in my garden. We've been here 20+ years and they only moved in around 5 yrs ago.

I googled and found this...

High hedges and trees can cause a particular problem for adjoining property owners where they block light from the neighbouring land. Under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 and the High Hedges Regulations 2005, there is a statutory means of redress through the local authority where a hedge or tree/s is more than 2 metres high.

When does this legislation apply?
The legislation applies to owners and occupiers (for example, tenants) where::

there are 2 or more trees or shrubs over 2 metres high above ground level and which act as a barrier to light, and
the reasonable enjoyment of part or all of a property, including a garden or part of a garden, is being adversely affected by a tree or high hedge that is situated on neighbouring land, and
the land which is being adversely affected is a domestic property

If you cut back the overhanging branches then surely they wouldn't block your light any more??

Maybe I misunderstood??

The best way to deal with this is to keep things friendly and civil. If the relationship breaks down then you can look at taking other steps.

It doesn't seem you've spoken to them. Just say to her when Autumn comes in and the flowers die, can you cut them down to about two foot please, they block our light and it just means they will, flower lower next year. If they seem reasonable I don't see why they wouldn't.

Mine don't block anything or anyone, but if they did and a neighbour asked me, I'd happily chop em back.

night time roundup weedkiller run !

High Hedge Legislation May help you, but often left to local councils to implement and can be a nightmare to get them to engage!

Try living with these giant fuckers at the end of your garden!! 🙈

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