Grow Your Own Magazine

Personally I would go and have a chat with your neighbours, ask them if they could get the builders to remove the debris, as they would obviously need your permission to do so anyway!!.

While your there ask if they object to you growing anything up the fence on your side or you painting/staining it. If you get the all clear there at least you have a choice either to plant up, or stain a more pleasing colour.

Worst case scenario if they say no, create raised beds against it to rot the timbers!!!!!!!(did I just say that, oh I am naughty.)

Bl***y h*** Shelley! Just read your posts - by gum! that is a rather HUGE fence, I know you mentioned your neighbours plans when we met last summer. If I were you, I would be gutted - your view was fantastic. Good to see that at least you are positive with your last post and your new plans sound good. Best wishes. Bernie aka DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

To BM - there is a prior thread on this subject - I suggest you search for it and read it - you might then understand why your comments have received such a negative response.

OWG - the boundry which your neighbour has 'altered' - who did the fencing rights lie with? If it is your fence line, unless he is clearly withing his boundry you can force him to alter the fence to something more your liking - won't do anything for the already poor relations and may cause problems should you ever wish to sell - but worth the happy thought if not the action!

Your revised plans sound good - I can still get Hawthorn, walnut, sycamore and maybe beech seedlings if you want.

Our neighbour did the same - they hated cutting 110ft of 7ft high hedge! We didn't mind to much - gave me a lovely fence to espalie (sp?) my pears trees against!

They were good though - they asked if we would consider removing the hedge and let us 'use' their workmen to dig out the roots of the thing, enlightened self interest - gave them somewhere to put the fence!

Even helped getting rid of all the hedge.

Sounds like you are making the best of a bad situation! It would have been a lot worse if you had things planted in this area of the garden and then they would have put the fence up, shading all your plants/veg. My parents had a problem similar to this, the builders next door removed the old fence, including 20 years worth of plants that had grown. Needless to say, it went to court...

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Vegmonkey and the Mrs. - vegetable gardening in a small space in Cheltenham at www.vegmonkey.co.uk

I'm lucky, I agree. My neighbours are quite good - he wants to get rid of the front fence and put a wall in - fine by me - the fence is falling down. I've just dug the area on my side as I was going to put some shrubs in. Now I know there will be workmen sometime this year I'll hold off getting the shrubs until the work is done!

Bare earth may seem a waste but I won't loose any plants, and a quick hoe everyother week will keep it neat until he does the job.

Maybe time to move on from the look of the fence, (at least it didn't cost you anything, a lot of us have to maintain and put up fences that cost the earth!) rue what you had, but realise it's now gone - and make the best of what you now have - liking the espalier trees idea a lot!

janeyo