I have a neighbour who insists on keeping a hedge made up of Douglas Fir trees. It is planted inches from our property line and is a maintenance nightmare. It requires twice yearly pruning to keep it contained. Since she is no longer fit enough to prune it regularly it is growing out of control. Her daughter comes once a year and trims her side of the hedge but refuses to prune our side. I spoke with the neighbour a few years ago about removing the fir trees and replanting the area with a more appropriate hedging plant or building a fence. She refused both options. She is growing the hedge higher now getting up to 10 feet so that a ladder is now required to prune it. I really feel horrible about this predicament because I am forced into maintaining her hedge and dealing with the mess all year long, semi annually pruning and the constant needle drop. Does anyone have any further suggestions on what I can do?
Not much. In my career as property manager, the issue of "overgrowing" came up often. Basically, in BC. you can prune-off everything that encroaches on your property, going as far up as you can get. This leaves a mess in many cases. A solid wooden fence can cover up the lower bare, brown part. Above that, chop 'er back. Douglas Fir is a rotten hedging plant & you have my sympathy. Interestingly, in the UK a hedge that is too tall/big can trigger an ASBO (Antisocial Behaviour Order). For example: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7963957/Couple-fined-2000-after-breaching-hedge-Asbo.html The plant most often cited....Cuprocyparis leylandii. The traditional, and often hated, "Cedar Hedge" material here in BC. We do not have the equivalent of the ASBO, unless there is a bylaw in your municipality. Check that out, but it's not likely.
