Hi TGV Team,
When I first bought this house, my next-door neighbor and I got along perfectly. We don’t socialize much, but we wave when we see each other and exchange cookies at Christmas. The invisible property line between our homes was always understood. I have a neat row of hydrangeas on my side and she has her flowerbeds on hers.
But a few weeks ago, I came home to see a set of new rose bushes planted right up against my hydrangeas. When I looked closer, I realized they were clearly about a foot into my yard. I didn’t want to cause trouble, so the next time I saw her, I mentioned it casually. She laughed and said, “Oh, I probably just eyeballed it wrong. You won’t even notice once they start blooming!” I smiled politely, but inside, I was fuming.
Now, every time I go out to water my plants, I see those rose bushes staring back at me like a row of little pink trespassers. I know it’s petty, but it irritates me. I’m not even sure I care about the foot of land—it’s the assumption that bothers me. That she could just take it over without asking.
I’ve thought about letting it go, but I also worry that if I don’t say something, she’ll keep pushing boundaries. Literally. How do I bring it up again without starting a neighborhood feud? Or should I just live with it and learn to admire the roses, even if they technically aren’t mine?
Yours,
The Garden Dispute
