Neighbours complaints about my ivy

I don't understand this.

I had ivy growing to the point it invaded my NDN's fence - they just cut it off and didn't complain. After that, I kept it under control so it doesn't grow over the fence into their garden. They even asked me for some last Christmas to decorate their fireplace...

They have a tree (unidentified) that hangs over the fence into my garden. If it gets too invasive, I just cut off the branches on my side, but I don't complain to them about it.

I stand corrected concerning neighbours cutting and the return of them
One word of caution about removing ivy from an old wall a friend did just that but to his cost found the ivy was holding it up
The repair of the wall was very pricey

It depends who the fence belongs to. Ivy damages fence panels, it creeps between them and pushes the slats apart. It also creeps uunderground and pops up in flowerbeds, which gardeners find annoying.

NotSpaghetti

No they don't! "have the right to dump it in your land" this is fly-tipping.
They, in fact, ought to ask you if you want it back! If you say no they have to dispose of it.

Well said, NotSpaghetti.

We have loads of it, mainly for the wildlife.

However, we are detached, it’s all within our boundary, including the roots and we keep it trimmed back.

If the roots are within your boundary then it’s yours, but they can cut overhanging pieces if it’s on their property, but they will have to give you back all the cuttings.

Why not get someone in to trim it back and tidy it up
( between now and when the birds start to nest next year) ?

Just check that the roots are on your side and it isn’t damaging any of their property or plants/hedges/walls.

I remove the Ivy from my walls and garden if I want to. It doesn't always effect my neighbours who have ivy too. They could just cut down the bits that are on their side.

Our neighbour's ivy was pulling the garden wall down, she totally refuted this and refused to pay for a new wall, worried about our grandchildren we paid for the wall, then she started complaining that she had the side without a good finish!!

They can't force you, but maybe a haircut would appease them? As a soon to be ex beekeeper, I love ivy as do bees, wasps, solitary flies, moths, butterfliesand birds...so I would only trim it xx

Made in Yorkshire Sounds like you've had a battle too. I too have arthritis and a spinal condition and doing anything much beyond deadheading is pretty much beyond me. Plus it's a housing association house so I'm limited as to what I'm allowed to do. My garden is only around 7 metres front to back but quite wide and my neighbour's plot goes all the way across the back. I think I'm stuck with having to pay to have it blitzed every few years, my neighbour is not fit enough to tackle anything herself either.

Ivy is a wildlife saviour at this time of year, when there is so little pollen available. Wasps are pollinators and also predate greenfly and even some caterpillars, so are a useful garden asset and only attack when attacked first.

If your ivy is growing on a shared fence and hedge, and not increasing the height over 6 feet, then I don't see how your neighbours can do anything. they certainly have no right to tell you to cut it right back.

If it's NOT a shared boundary but ENTIRELY yours, then you may be considered to have a responsibility to keep their side neat, otherwise not.

It's a strange year here - many of my plants are still flowering and some which should have flowered in the summer, eg clematis, are sprouting and have blossoms.

Roses, geraniums, fushchias, clematis, sunflowers, buddleia, nasturtiums, cosmos, carnations, verbena, penstemon, campanula, honeysuckle and of course sedum, all in bloom. Nothing on the ivy.

We seem to have more butterflies now than we had all summer too.
Of course, we might get a sudden cold snap.

I'd top it and make sure it didn't go over to their side.

Take care if you are going to tackle the ivy. I have been working on clearing ivy off a fence for the last few weeks. At the same time I have had a horrible itchy rash over my neck and round my eyes. The penny dropped today when the rash had returned after having calmed down last week and I realized the only plant I had touched all weekend was the ivy.

Apparently, it can be an irritant and I don't normally have allergic reactions to anything at all.

Yes, two points. Ivy is great for wildlife and it’s yours - so no one can or should demand you get rid.

But on the other hand you don’t want to fall out with neighbours.

Perhaps compromise and tell her you’ll trim it back a bit or thin it when it stops flowering.

Yes, I've had an ivy rash from common ivy.

Is it actually wasps or bees? There is a specific ivy bee.

Ivy is very useful in wildlife terms. If it's only growing along a border wall and fence, can't the neighbours keep it under control on their side and leave the rest be?

Wood pigeons loves ivy 'fruit'. And it provides good shelter for bats if it's thick enough.

Baggs

Wood pigeons loves ivy 'fruit'. And it provides good shelter for bats if it's thick enough.

Oh no!
We don't want more wood pigeons here!!

Callistemon21

Yes, I've had an ivy rash from common ivy.

Yes I was recently cutting mine and had a really nasty blister on my hand which then swelled up and was quite infected for about a week.. never had it before..

I chopped down the variegated ivy not long ago without a problem.

It was the common stuff which grows under and over the fence which caused a problem a few years ago.

It really is your responsibility to control the ivy if it is invading your neighbour’s property and causing them problems. You don’t have to completely remove it but they are in their rights to ask you to keep it check.
They also have the right to cut back any ivy on their side of the fence and dump the clippings on your side. This will cause you added problems because if you don’t dispose of it you will have a vermin problem.

I am not sure that this is legally the case. I am sure I read that your neighbour's have the right to cut stuff on their boundary and should offer it back but if you don't want it, you can't just throw it back over.
Similarly, you don't have the right to go round to their side of the fence to control your plant so if they don't want it in their garden, they have to cut it back.
Some years ago, the next door neighbour to a family member removed a load of laurels that had been up for years between the two gardens but originated on the family member's side. It took years to sort out because there was a boundary dispute too. When they were found to be in the wrong, the neighbours tried to claim back the costs of having the hedge cut back but the solicitors said that this was not the law.
If it were me and I wasn't bothered about having an Ivy hedge, I'd probably say that they were welcome to replace with something you agreed with at their cost it if they were that bothered. If not, you will do your best to control it.

I miss the ivy that grew over the garden wall in my last house. It was covered in bees at this time of year. I always cut great lengths of it to decorate mantelpieces and the banisters at Christmas. My neighbours were lovely. They trimmed their side and I trimmed mine after the bees had gone. Even when I cut it right back it quickly grew back.

You really don't want to start a war with your neighbours .
You never know when you'll need them !

I get on exceptionally well with my neighbour , but she complains about the ivy which climbs up the brickwork of both our houses .
I cut it back every year and I'm trying to kill it off .
I know that it damages brickwork .
So it's a perfectly reasonable complaint .
But I get fed up with her honeysuckle , laurel and weigela which invade my garden - not to mention her four cats , which use my flowerbeds as a toilet !

Our neighbours are letting their ivy invade our garden ( theirs is covered in it stopping other plants from thriving). But what happens in theirs isn’t my business. However, I now cut all their invasive ivy in our garden and place this in their bin ( as per agreement). I once paid a gardener cut and remove ( neighbours refused to chip in), therefore doing my best to keep it under control.

Thanks everyone, your replies have been immensely helpful.

To answer some of the questions - the woman next door says it's causing rashes in their family. I find it hard to believe as they're hardly ever in the garden and they never touch the ivy. I thought you only reacted if handling it. The husband is perfectly nice but the wife is rude and very snooty.