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Neighbours can be a huge help or a hindrance, as one woman found out when she returned from her holiday.
Taking to Mumsnet to explain, FlowerScarlet said she was left “feeling upset” with those that lived next door because they “cut down all my roses in the garden” while she was away.
Since she was going to be on holiday for 10 days, she “asked [her] neighbour to water the plants in the greenhouse”, but the neighbour “did a lot more than what [was] asked” of them.
The “entire garden was completely weeded, plants and shrubs shaped and manicured”. The owners were “shocked and genuinely grateful”, adding they hadn’t asked or expected the neighbour to go to such efforts to maintain their outside space.
“Everything seemed perfect except she cut down ALL our roses!!!!” The woman fumed. “I have been feeling quite upset what she has done without our consent.”
The woman has five different varieties of roses in “different areas of the garden”, and each plant was cut until nothing was left.
“Before we left they were all in full bloom, very leafy, big shrubs with abundant flowers taking up a lot of space,” she explained. “Yes they did look a bit wild and overgrown, but we always went for the wild cottage garden look instead of the perfectly manicured look, and June / July is the time roses really grow and flourish.”
The woman admitted she wasn’t “an expert at rose gardening” but always pruned the plants back in winter/early spring, so all the blooms was this year’s growth.
“She did not just cut back on the dead flowers, she literally cut majority of the canes back to the ground with no roses and leaves left except a few leggy canes!” She continued.
As for what she said to her neighbour, she had a “short conversation” and the neighbour is of the mindset she has “done them a favour”. The neighbour thought the woman didn’t “maintain” her garden as it “looked overgrown”.
“I just feel so upset that she thought it was OK to just do this without me knowing,” the woman added.
It’s now been a few days since she returned home and the woman is struggling to “get over” the sight of her “bare garden” with “perfectly weeded soil”.
To make matters worse, the neighbour asked the woman if she could keep some of the rose cuttings she made to “plant in her garden”. Now, the woman is left wondering if the neighbour “cut them [all her roses] down to take a bunch of them home and plant them in her garden”.
Many gardeners rushed to the comments section to offer advice. Several assured the worried woman that her roses will survive the hard cut back.
NetZeroZealot said: “She was way out of order, and you should definitely say something – albeit tactfully, as she thought she was doing you a favour.”
ClymYeobright commented: “That’s outrageous. No wonder you’re upset. I would definitely speak to her.”
Pocketfullofdogtreats said: “It sounds to me that she didn’t approve of your garden not being the way she likes it and she’s gone in and changed it. Totally unacceptable. I would mention it, and then move on. She needs to be aware that she overstepped the mark.”
JustMaggie suggested: “I would be upset, but I wouldn’t say anything. I just wouldn’t ask her again. The roses will grow back so it’s not worth ruining an otherwise good relationship with the neighbour.”
Gagagardener said: “Feed them, now, lots, and water them well. You should get a new flush of flowers this summer. Tell your neighbour what you are doing and why.”
BarrelOfOtters added: “Roses are tough as old boots, feed and water and mulch and they’ll be back better than ever. You can prune any time, you’ll just affect later flowering if they were going to bloom again.”
