squonk 41,016 #1 Posted March 25, 2013 We hae lived in our house for 23 years. Up until last year our back door neighbor has been an elderly lady who kept her place as neat as a pin. She moved into a nursing home and the house was sold. We have had a 4 ft. fence between the yards mostly to keep my dogs in. Enter a new family. With like 4 kids there are always ballls in our yard. Before mowing once I threw 2 baseballs, a kick ball, a soccer ball, a basket ball and a Frisbee over the fence at once. They had a little rug dog. Now besides that they have a 7 foot high dog! At least he looks that way. He has destroyed the yard. There are about 200 kids toys in the mud all chewed up all strewn all over. No one will bother to go pick them up. The view is a DEE ZAS TOR!! My wife's solution? Full grown Emerald Arborvitaes from Lowes. She got 11 of them. Had to make 2 trips with the trailer. Used the C-160 to get them into the back yard. Got mud stuck all over the AG's I feel like a Big Boy Farmer who just came out of the fields in the spring! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marreque 213 #2 Posted March 25, 2013 Boy, do I FEEL your FRUSTRATION!!!!!!! I have same situation on th side of me, s@!t all over yard. Where as my wife and I keep our yard and child's toys nice n neat. We put a 6' barn board fence last spring, problem solved. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
varosd 1,185 #3 Posted March 25, 2013 Mike, You should stop throwing all of their stuff back over and save it until you have a yard sale and sell it...the proceeds can go to Wheel Horse stuff!! heck, if it's on your property and they don't make the effort to retrieve it...sell it! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,016 #4 Posted March 25, 2013 I don't think they have any toys left that that giant dog hasn't chewed up! Last night that big moose got into an argument with my other neighbor's rug runner. That monster was jumping up and down and his whole body was clearing that 4 ft fence between them. The guy who owns the little dog came flying out of the house ans was quite animated talking to Godzilla's owner. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Irv 115 #5 Posted March 25, 2013 There's one or more in every neighborhood Mike! I did the same thing with arborvities years ago only a friend gave me a bunch in a plastic bag. They were about 3 ft long with the roots and big around as my little finger. It didn't take as long as you would think to block the neighbor out. A little advice-don't plant them too close together. they will spread and grow faster than you might think. Good luck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 37,125 #6 Posted March 25, 2013 Yep, got tired of the neighbors nonsense too, so last year I used the push mower to send my neighbors toys back. Shortly after that, they also erected an arborvitae wall. Though it was a hard winter here...I couldn't help but notice, the deer ate well this year. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky-(Admin) 21,300 #7 Posted March 25, 2013 When I moved in there was the possiblity of a right-of-way driveway alongside my property so I planted something like what you are doing on that side of my yard. I gave mine a good dose of Miracle Grow every spring and they took off like they were on steriods! They were all about 3' tall when planted 14 years ago and now some of them are over 25' tall. Mike............. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericj 1,578 #8 Posted March 26, 2013 my neighbors think i am like that because i have so many wheel horse sittin out back all nice and covered up but i'm only suppose to have 1 tractor like they do eric j Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CRE1992 135 #9 Posted March 26, 2013 Its funny you say your neighbor has a large dog... It just so happens that my neighbor who happens to be my aunt has a large dog also... He is a 250lb English Mastiff named Gus. He is going on 3 years old. Here he is, I blurred my Aunts face out in case she didn't want to be seen in the picture. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leeave96 487 #10 Posted March 26, 2013 The Emerald Arborvitaes are a GREAT idea! We have thought about putting up a privacy fence at one end of my yard, but are concerned with how it would look. The Emerald Arborvitaes would likely get the job done too. As for the neighbor's toys in your yard, have you thought about just mowing over them - or better yet, a RD deck with the mulching baffle... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,016 #11 Posted March 26, 2013 With Gargantua back there, I don't think the toys will last long enough to make it over the fence! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ken B 3,164 #12 Posted March 26, 2013 What a headache it can be when you have a sloppy neighbor. If they can't be bothered to pick up the toys all over the yard it kinda makes ya wonder who is picking up the dog muffins that their mutt is leaving behind. Big dog, BIG muffins. When their mutt starts poopin in your yard, now then you really got a problem.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaiser 100 #13 Posted March 26, 2013 i feel your pain. we spent 8 years in a small rasied ranch on 1/3 of an acre. the neighbors on both sides were just slobs, stuff everywhere, never mowed the lawn. these houses are 1300 sq ft. one of the charming neighbors had 3 dogs (all lived in a crate in the kitchen, and were only let out onto the deck to do their business) rabbits, chickens, a room full of reptiles and a lovely cockatoo that screamed all day and night. on the other side the people would buy a new puppy, as soon as it got big they would get rid of it and a new puppy would show up. needless to say, trees wouldn't help our sitituation (we did try 6' stockade though). we had to move, took a loss on our hose too. but now we are much happier with a larger peice of property and much nicer neighbors. we have a great dane, so i know all about giant dogs. i pooper scoop daily. i don't want to be "that guy". lol 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,016 #14 Posted March 26, 2013 (edited) Shot of offending yard. You can see the pooper scooper laying in the middle of it. Got the trees sort of lined up still in their pots. May get a couple more. I think I'll re-stain the fence before planting Edited March 26, 2013 by squonk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
6wheeler 603 #15 Posted March 27, 2013 Those will look nice there. Stain the fence? Why not. In a few years you won't be able to see it. Or the neighbors houses. Or the skyline. Privacy is a wonderful thing. You could eventually trim them up in all sorts of funky shapes. Steve probably has a tutorial on ladder and chainsaw trimming on here somewhere. I planted some of those at my old house in town. I planted them 6' apart and they filled in nicely. One piece of advice though, plant them out from the fence a ways or you will never get to it again and the sap turns the fence black. They are great for catching balls and frisbees and kites and all sorts of other airborne items. Also. make sure there are no power lines above them as they get rather tall. The power companies are "not" known for their tree trimming and shaping abilities. Birds like them too, so you get that benefit also. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Don1977 604 #16 Posted March 27, 2013 You need space behind the trees to mow and keep the neighbors weeds and vines from taking over the trees. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoctorHfuhruhurr 137 #17 Posted March 27, 2013 Not everybody has the same priorities in life. Visual and mental clutter forces humans beings to focus and think more clearly. You should thank them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
varosd 1,185 #18 Posted March 29, 2013 "Good fences make good neighbors" Robert Frost Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,016 #19 Posted April 7, 2013 (edited) Stained the fence yesterday and got them planted today. Edited April 7, 2013 by squonk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites