Hey everyone! I just moved into a new home and I've inherited a garden that's kind of a jungle right now. There's this hedge from my neighbor that's grown 5-6 feet over our path. We decided to trim it back a bit so we could put up a fence and plant some flowers and stuff to make the walkway nice. When I met the neighbors, they mentioned we shouldn't have done that until September and that we might have done something illegal. I know that it's only illegal if we knew there were birds nesting, but I haven't seen any birds or bees in that hedge. I'm getting a bit paranoid about whether I should have waited or if we're in the clear to continue trimming. Can someone help clarify this for me?
5 Answers
According to the Wildlife and Countryside Act, it’s against the law to damage bird nests while they’re in use, which means it’s smart to be cautious between March and August. However, without seeing any nests, you're not breaking any laws right now. If possible, waiting until August could avoid any potential issues, but it sounds like you were well within your rights to trim it since it was encroaching.
Just nod and agree with your neighbors, but don't let that stop you. Since the hedge is on your property, you have every right to take care of it. Sure, it’s nice to offer the cuttings back, but honestly, if the hedge had been kept up, you wouldn’t have to deal with it now. Once it’s cut back, it’ll likely perk back up and attract bees next season! If someone complains, just remember: the maintenance of your own garden comes first.
Nah, if there are no nests, go ahead and cut it back. Your rights allow you to trim anything that’s over your boundary, so don’t stress about the neighbors too much!
Looks like you've got the right idea! Just make sure you’re not cutting down any nests if they appear. Also, a new law was passed that affects when farmers can cut hedges, but it doesn't apply to home gardens like yours, so you’re all good there!
As long as you didn’t see any birds nesting, you’re totally fine to trim that hedge to the boundary. Just be careful not to kill the plant in the process – that's the only real limit here.