Something I don't understand

Our road, and thus our gardens, are on a slight slope - from one side of my garden to the other (a width of about 45') my garden drops just over 1', but where my garden meets that of my neighbour, there is a noticeable and sudden difference in height, mine being some 12" higher than his and yes, he owns the fence which separates these two properties.

So far so good.

Some years ago, said neighbour replaced his all his fencing and, having lived here much longer than us, is well aware of the height difference between the two properties but chose not to put gravel boards in. I have tried to keep my soil away from the bottom of his fence so far as I am able but it's not always possible - digging, watering etc., on light, sandy soil inevitably means that some will always roll down and, over the years, the bottom slats of his ('woven' type) fence have shrunk, twisted, broken and generally no longer stop my soil from falling through, nor do they stop the neighbourhood cats using the gaps as a shortcut.

Now, I can understand he doesn't want my soil all over his path (the cats I can't do much about!), but 3 weeks ago he, admittedly very pleasantly, said he intended to ' .... cut the bottom off the rotted panels and put in a bit of wood to stop the soil and cats getting through'.

Bearing in mind this man has been retired for the past 8 years (so has all day every day to do this job), he duly went into his garden at 7 p.m. one night, cut the bottom off the offending panels and .......... well nothing. Three weeks on and there remains an 18" gap at the bottom of all but 2 of the 10, 6' wide fence panels, since when of course, my soil has positively cascaded into his garden, ably assisted by every passing cat and fox.

Like I said - I don't understand

 

Hmm, hes either put his back out starting the job, can't afford the wood or forgotten what he was doing in the first place.

Maybe a gentle inquirey followed by can I have my soil back now please would be appropriate.

 

Sounds like the kind of thing I would do

Joking aside, maybe there is a genuine reason. Ziggy suggested a couple. Another is that maybe he is unwell, or someone close to him is, which would divert his focus from the garden. Or maybe he just feels overwhelmed by it all so keeps putting it off. I think if I was able, I'd offer to lend a hand to get the job done. With your soil spilling in, he might feel like he's fighting a losing battle trying to keep it retained.

 

Or else he`s waiting for you to sort the problem at YOUR expense.:D

 

Well, what'ya know - must have been my post which spurred him into action (who knows, he may be lurking here even as we speak!).

Yesterday, he actually spent the day putting in the missing bits of wood - and a brilliant job he's made of it too. Now, I may be only a 'girl' (I use the term loosely you understand!), but it was I who cleared the ground and built our 3m x 3m deck single handed (complete with step, balustrade, privacy panels, handrails etc.): it was I who made 4 'beehive' compost bins: 2 raised beds: 2 cold frames: 3 herb planters and it was I who suggested that any wood at the bottom of fences would be much better placed on my side of the fence, braced against and screwed to the posts, since that is the side from which the 'pressure' is exerted. All of this counted for nought and all offers of help were politely, but firmly, rejected.

What we now have at the bottom of each panel are pieces of 19 x 150 mm softwood placed one above the other - one 'layer' has been pushed through to my side but screwed into position from his side and a further, similar arrangement has gone on, on his side, thus he has made a sort of 'sandwich', with the bottom of the old fence as the 'filling'.

I haven't seen any preservative going onto any of the timber used, and since he didn't bother to 'think ahea......' or measure, each and every piece of wood has resulted in the ends of 4 screws protruding through to my side by anything from 2mm to almost 1cm - which of course means, I now need to do something about them so that I, or possibly subsequent occupants, don't lacerate ourselves when weeding close to the fence.

And then ..... he called through the fence to say that he'd got '.. several buckets of topsoil ..' and would I like them since they're of no use to him. I know that 'topsoil' (it was once mine after all!), it's full of ivy roots, miscellaneous weeds and general detritus. No thanks

 

Aaw, Fidgetsmum, be charitable! Not everybody is as able and efficient as you and I! Being retired myself, I know that many days really are busy, and sometimes I start something and literally don't get the time to finish it for days.
He has done the job after all, albeit not as well as you would have liked. But is this because he just doesn't know/can't afford to do it any better, or because he is being malicious towards you? If it's the latter you are right to be annoyed. If the former, you just have to grin and bear it, I think.

 

Ah Lorna - I'm not annoyed, just ..... mystified.

Of course, what we shouldn't forget is, that we are talking here about the man who wobbled a'top a step ladder whilst putting trellis on top of an already 6' high fence and then attempted to put preservative on it by trying to lean over the top - causing even my 6 year old Godson to remark 'Aunty? Why didn't that man paint that fence stuff before he put it up?' You may well ask James, you may well ask.

Out of the mouths of babes ....

 

Well, there you have it. A congenital incompetent. He doubtless means well (and what a damning phrase that is!

 

Rather like a boss I once had whose favourite 'put down' was 'Whilst I accept that you feel your argument has its basis in fact ....'

 

Girl power! That's what it's about Fidgetsmum. :yess:

 

It's quite simple, my Father was in the Navy where you're taught to be pretty self-sufficient. After the war when he and Mum were married, they couldn't afford many of the things they would have like, so Dad made them.

As a small child I watched as Dad did the decorating and made or mended things and, as I got older I, got pretty good at knowing which tool he'd want (it was a matter of personal pride to have it ready before he asked for it!), eventually I was allowed to 'have a go' and having learnt to use the tools properly, was shown how to cut first a simple half-lap joint which Dad made me get absolutely perfect before going on to teach me to do a mortise and tenon.

After Uni., my husband spent 2 years as a cabinetmaker (before completely changing direction and joining the Civil Service), so it was from him that I learnt to cut mitre joints, mortised mitres and dovetails.

My Father died, the Civil Service sees fit to send my husband overseas 'at the drop of a hat' for random periods of time - and thus, I just gets on wi' it m'self!

 

I wish. If I were that brilliant, I'd be able to grow Aquilegia and mint to 'pest' proportions just like everyone else.