My neighbor wants to put up a little bit of a privacy wall, some hedges, etc. She also wants to put up a tree that is stipulated that it will grow no higher than 5 m tall (kept pruned to that height) in the corner of her garden that is adjacent to our little postage stamp of lawn.
I am not bothered by the whole action, I would prefer not to have anything as it will "box" me in, but what can you do? However, I am a bit hesitant about the tree part, as I feel it will produce too much shadow (I just put in a little garden there this summer where we grew some cukes, peppers, raspberries) etc. In addition, I am worried it will lessen our view/open feeling and I don't want to lose that...
She has given me plans to sign and if I agree, they will go ahead. I am not sure what happens if I disagree. She has mentioned that if I agree then we don't need to go to the town for permits, etc., and that will save money.
Does anyone know if I say no, does she go then to the town to get permission and it can/will be granted anyways? I am usually a "whatever" type person, doesn't really bother me what others do, but I am a bit worried that this 1 tree will really bother me.
I will talk to her again, obviously, if I see her! But she wanted it signed and returned asap as everyone is heading out for the fall break and she wants the plans to start as soon as she gets back.
Before anyone starts Swiss bashing - my neighbor is a retired British woman...
Anyone with any experience along these lines? Again, I am not a rock the boat type person but not a total push over, either
maybe you can discuss concerns and reach a compromise. e.g. put tree further in so shadow isn't cast into your garden.
Hedges I can't see a problem with. If the tree shades your garden, then that's a potential problem. Do you know what sort of tree she wants ? will it drop leaves, will it leave sun through in the winter but shade in the summer, will it totally overshadow your garden until your grass turns to moss, will it steal water from the soil and make your veggie garden un-useable.
A general rule-of-thumb is that the area for a tree should be diameter twice the hight. So put the tree trunk in the centre and draw a circle around it, 10 metres all directions... and that gives you the area it will effect. Add the information about which way the shadow will fall, and you have the general impact worse-case-scenario.
Sorry...I come from the southern hemisphere and have a major brain hurdle when I try to comprehend north/south/east/west and also the longer days in the summer and shorter in the winter...but generally south is 'sunny' and north is 'shady' and if your garden is north of the tree, then you're doing to get the most shade. If it's an east/west thing, the impact should be less...
I think the way you have described your feelings towards it here sounds perfectly reasonable. You have a valid point that it would impact on your little plot of land and are open to discussion with her.
There must be a compromise somewhere along the line; either she locates the tree to another corner or she gets a much smaller one. 5 metres is a pretty big tree, especially when it's in "full leaf" in the summer. Also, when it sheds its leaves, which way will they blow?
Good luck with your discussions.
Ask her to put the tree in another place. Explain that you can't sign as it is, as your garden will suffer from the shade.
Beware of hedges, they also add shade, but also take nutrients from the soil near them. They need cutting several times each year, who would cut your side of the hedge? A fence with clematis and honeysuckle would be better, less maintenance, less soil problems.
5 meters is a standard height for a neighbours tree in Switzerland.
(Don't laugh at me, its true - the official regulations)
BUT remember - trees grow slowly here, depending of course which type it is.
Ask her which type, and check out how fast they grow.
You may be in a different country/house by the time this eventuates. However it may effect your resale value, and ambiance of your garden.
But fundamentally, you'll get used to it - humans are adaptable creatures.
5 meters is about the size of 2 levels.
We have had neighbours build "directly" (and i mean to the millimetre) on our boarder. They of course asked....
Other neighbours have also planted a "5 meter tree"- that was 2 years ago, and currently stands 1.5 meters.
But don't be pressured into signing it before the holidays... you can always "think about it" or "forget".
And you can be honest to her about it too - depending on the type of person she is of course. She should understand.
But fundamentally, you have to live with her for the foreseeable future.
All change can be upsetting.
I didn't think I knew what type of tree it is, but apparently I just didn't know the German name. It is a
Parrotie or Persian Ironwood . Still, don't know what it is, but thankfully there is Wikipedia and other sources! Not sure if that makes me feel better or worse...
Also, they aren't hedges, per se, but rather she will put in cypress trees, I think. It is stipulated that whatever it is, it won't be higher than 2 m.
There is really no other place for the tree, looking at the plans, so it is either there, not there or we agree to a different height?
Actually, while the shade part of the tree bothers me a little, it is more the closed in feeling I will feel with it there, taking up open space now.
Hopefully I will see her today so I can talk to her about it.
Thanks for your input, at least I know I am not being totally unreasonable
DON'T let her put in Cypress hedges! They do not stop at 2 meters! They are the second worst hedging plants, they are rampant with big roots near the surface. Worse are Bamboo! This lady needs some expert gardening help. Do not agree to the tree nor to the hedges! They will ruin both gardens!
To be honest I would be more worried about the cypress trees. They grow phemomenally quickly and need constant trimming and affect the acidity of the soil so nothing grows within a certain radius around them. You will certainly get a boxed in feeling with those around you.
As for the tree it looks like quite a nice tree from the link but 5 metres is pretty tall, it is deciduous so you will end up with leaves in your garden an although it will take quite a few years to frow to full size you will also find it drains moisture from the your garden (as will the cypress tress).
If I were in your shoes I would try to reach a compromise somehow. Maybe agree to the tree (although in your shoes I wouldn't) but choose a different species for the hedges. And don't rush making the decision, if she has to wait until after the holidays then so be it. This is something that will potentially affect you for many years to come so don't feel pressured into deciding too quickly.
(Some Bamboo - not all run underground, some form clumps).
I agree with all that's been said about the hedge - it will ruin your garden.
Where is she planning to put it? You do know that generally it's not allowed on the boundary but has to be planted 0.6m back on her side (you may want to check this for your area).
Find out what kind of tree it is as well.
TBH, I wouldn't sign anything and get her to go through the official channels which will be fair to you both but probably of benefit to you.
Just to add (a bit unhelpfully, I'm afraid, as I can't provide specifics) - but there are regs. that must be adhered to when planting hedges and trees on or near shared borders.
All a bit complicated, and may vary from canton to canton. The higher something is expected (allowed) to grow, determines how close it can be planted to the border. For trees there are differences between fruit trees and other trees - fruit trees being the ones that have to be further away.
With permanent walls and fences, the magic height for the border is 1,20m, above that height, it must be half the additional height away from the border. This relates a bit to hedges, but I think my old privet hedge I could maintain up to 1,80m on the border.
We've had issues at our old house and our current one, but as this is the land of my wife, she always deals with such stuff ..... she's pretty much up to speed, but, alas, me not.
It's something you should look into.
What she wants you to sign is probably a Nachbarricht (spelling?) - a cheap and convenient (but legal) way of avoiding officialdom.
If you sign, there's no going back .... DON'T.
Well, it states in the plans that "Der Eigentümer hat die Pflanzen unter Schere zu halten, max. Höhe 2m, Aeste keine über Grenze" - which is what I would be agreeing to for the hedge part. The soil issue is a non issue as that section is adjacent to our driveway and there is no garden there. Also, our driveway is sloped, down to our house (garage is at keller level) so the hedge won't box me in as much...
Again, hopefully I will see her later and I can ask the more specific questions, or at least let her know I have a couple of concerns. Time to find my big girl pants (meaning giving me courage, not my fat pants...)
You may want to clarify how she intends to maintain the hedge on your side as it seems that it won't be very easily accesible in this case. Also how colse are they going to be to your retaining wall? The roots could potentially do some serious damage to that too.
I'd be seriously inclined to go down the 'official' route in this situation.
You say she's British so she might be a fellow EF-er so she'll be prepared and will have the kettle on waiting for you...
Haha! It's me.
Just kidding.
So now I know where you're going to plant that giant redwood tree I gave you.
Cool place for the Leylandii hedging, too!
Normally the "owner" of a hedge is permitted access to the other side to maintain it it to agreed levels.
However I am unsure if this is a legal right, or just accepted - and certainly not without talking to the other person, first (although I never did ).
But access won't be very easy if it borders the sloping driveway will it? I guess she'll either have to use scaffolding or plant them far enough away to allow her to pass down the side of them.
according to the plans the tree is to be planted 1.40 m from the border.
It looks like the Schutzwand part will be 1.80 m tall, this is also in the same area as where the tree will be planted. It looks like on the plan she will eventually use the terrace area to set up a table etc. To be honest, in the year we have been here (well almost, since last November) I have only even seen her out in her yard maybe 3 times. Maybe because there was no fence
It won't be a problem to access pruning the 2m tall hedges from our side...
Concrete over your lawn, add a massive bbq. sorted. Gardens are for wimps.