I’m confused. Why did you plant trees on your neighbors property?

Take a deep breath - it’s a nice fence. Did you plant trees on your neighbors property 20 years ago? Not sure I understand that part. Maybe they are getting dogs, or will have kids running around. Good fences make good neighbors.

I understand the confusion. Planted in 20 years ago on what we thought was our property due to markers. 4 occupants on adjoining property no issue as hemlocks are beautiful and we maintained them. New neighbors did survey so allegedly these are over the line by 5’. Fence went up soon thereafter. Green view replaced by wood. Appreciate your suggestions to soften. Thank you so much!

That's certainly a disappointment that the land you thought was yours is not. It sounds like you loved the look of the trees. Why not plant more on your side of the fence? For now they'll be cute little trees that will soften the fence line and in the future you'll have big lovely trees in your yard.

Why does the fence jut out into your yard but not continue in a straight line front or back? Is that the shape of the property line or did they just fence part of it as a dog lot or something?

There are laws in some states that if you use property for a specific period of time unchallenged, you have created a use right to it. There also may be set back rules that prohibit fences or anything else being built within x?x feet of the property line. If you think you might want to argue these points, Reddit has a free legal advise forum but if you decide you do want to argue these points, check with local zoning folk and then a real estate lawyer. Or,

If you just want to get along with your neighbors, you could paint your side of the fence a dark "hemlock color" muted green and then plant a hedge of shrubs that hold their leaves and look good year round a couple of feet in front of and alongside the length of the fence.

Would definitely ask for a copy of the plat and then plant your shrubs all along your property line with this particular neighbor up to the front corner of your home and then you could have the fence make a right turn and meet the front corner of your home to provide privacy between the front and side yard. of your lot. You might even consider fencing the rest of the property line with this neighbor as well -- same fence.

You might check to see if either Aucuba or Camelia or Holly bushes would grow well in your planting zone.

Alternately, you might consider asking your neighbor to sell you that small piece of land.

You can still enjoy the green, and it looks like a nice fence! What size garden are you thinking of planting? With only 4 hours of sun, you'll be a bit limited on which plants/where to place them. Do you actually want a garden? If not, I'd plant greens to soften the fence a bit, some with color. Ideas include pyracantha, viburnum, arborvitae...

Thank you. There are odd lot sizes and shapes on our street. We did consider adverse possession but it doesn’t apply to trees here; we sacrificed our shed (1’ over the line) to avoid them taking down the hemlocks while we’re here. She was concerned she couldn’t grow tomatoes in her yard so we worked to save the beautiful trees. Attorneys were involved. Our town has no setback rules except for maintenance but they wanted “every inch.”
This is the back yard. We want no contact with them although I would love to stain it darker to match the cedar fences a very few houses on the street have. Most homes appreciate the natural screen provided by the trees.

Yes, am looking for design recommendations. I don’t think Emerald Greens are good With just 4 hours of sun. Green Giant too large.

The fence is not bad. You could do a mix of hydrangeas and grasses, or you can add clumping bamboo, which can also be dwarf. The clumping one will not spread

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Unless stained, the fence color will age and fade to a darker grey brown. Let it.

You can plant a mixed shrub border along the fence. That will hide it enough that your trees will become a natural backdrop and borrowed landscape. Unless you want more height for privacy at backyard level, medium - 6 foot high shrubs will hide the fence fine. Plenty shrubs will grow fine in those conditions: Viburnum, Rhododendron, azalea, all kind hydrangea, hollies, Fothergilla, and.... I'm sure I missed some. You could plant some cold hardy clumping bamboo and put the fear of God into your land grabbing neighbors.

OMG you are living my nightmare of 4 years ago. Except the fence here was homemade: white painted plywood and plastic lattice on top. Our side is green with mildew but I refuse to clean it. We planted Leyland Cypress which are fast growing and now see very little of the fence. Had to move our shed in as it was 1 foot over the property line. But happiness has returned to our neighborhood as the PIA's just sold yay

Trust me, the fence is awful. Odd angle, glaring, and a hard scape instead of the greens ape we’d cultivated for 26 years. I like your suggestions; was thinking of clumping bamboo but the word bamboo strikes fear into everyone’s hearts!

@jck Counting the days till they move but we will before they do. Bamboo on my mind fir just that reason! I just am concerned it’s too tropical looking for our wooded New England environs. Thoughts?

You could do a mix of hydrangea and tall grasses..the grasses stay like that through the winter and you cut them in the spring. I have lots of grasses,,all kinds and they provide enough privacy. The hydrangea keep their leaves for a while. Mine still have the leaves..the oakleaf one has its leaves a dark red.

If you want an evergreen, check the golden eonymus. You can trim it

Yes it takes a little juggling for a western European based American garden eye to put bamboo into a New England eastern deciduous forest setting. It becomes normal with time. In Japanese garden design, bamboo is very evocative of a forest setting. Bamboo and forests grow together. They both need similar amounts of water.

So plant some bamboo. Look at the Fargesia species. Do not plant a hedge of bamboo. Plant them as a focal point in a well designed bed. Lets forget about the fence. Let's design a nice season long interest shrub border for you to look at. It can be any style, naturalistic, formal, suburban linear, whatever you like.

Christopher, yes agree. Originally was thinking a whole bamboo hedge but like incorporating it with other items. I think Fargesia Rufa may be best within my zone and light?

Bamboo may be considered invasive and even prohibited in some places -- and may be difficult to contain within a small space over time. Know what you're getting into before planting anything in a yard you want to use for a garden.

As to your garden ... have you consider going vertical for more space? It depends, of course, on what you're planting but a pyramid or tower might be worth considering to increase your garden space and save yard space for a patio to enjoy your garden and indoor/outdoor living.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/605950280/strawberry-pyramid-planter-plans-tower?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_d-craft_supplies_and_tools-patterns_and_how_to-patterns_and_blueprints&utm_custom1=k_Cj0KCQiAtqL-BRC0ARIsAF4K3WE4tcqUKYTjZT7D-zTWiYdHjpT6eeEJATc4fIzMeoRqBaiQzuNlLIIaAh3JEALw_wcB_k&utm_content=go_2063558056_76452866095_367965825024_pla-322726483858_c__605950280_129243366&utm_custom2=2063558056&gclid=Cj0KCQiAtqL-BRC0ARIsAF4K3WE4tcqUKYTjZT7D-zTWiYdHjpT6eeEJATc4fIzMeoRqBaiQzuNlLIIaAh3JEALw_wcB

https://www.gurneys.com/product/grow-tub-tiered-strawberry-planter?p=0515548&gclid=Cj0KCQiAtqL-BRC0ARIsAF4K3WFxjmq1I_hH2K2AKMFQuqDrdVPEDpnu5KAPioKDbxuwIdpU6cFmnHUaArRDEALw_wcB

There are also tall narrow columnar trees but know what the roots would do to your garden before planting a row of any of those.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tall+narrow+trees&client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALeKk00U4O6jaKRgKWR0Sr3BEB98fIhq-Q:1607051884996&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj5i_blrrPtAhWcFlkFHQDEDvQQ_AUoAnoECAwQBA&biw=1366&bih=654

suezbell, that is what we said clumping bamboo..those do not invade..The other kind of bamboo is invasive and in many places it's not allowed

@suedonim75 There is way more to it than I’m sharing here. What I’m looking for and appreciate very much are the suggestions and expertise.

@christopher Yes let’s! 🌲

In my alleged zone 6 NC mountain, my 10 year old Fargesia rufa that gets the most sun is 3 to 4 feet in diameter and maybe 8 feet tall. I have it paired with Oak Leaf Hydrangea. So here is a combo to ponder, the Bamboo, a specimen Saucer Magnolia, Oak Leaf Hydrangea and with a ground layer fill of hardy geranium and hosta. To be arranged as wanted/works.

But this is where the more you say about your needs, wants, preferences and abilities and the actual site conditions and space this new bed will occupy, the more a bed can be designed that suits YOU.

@christopher Sounds lovely. These are good for 4 hours of sun per day? 40 feet wide give or take and 3 feet deep as we lost 5-6 feet in depth 😞 Another consideration is cost. Am loving Arborvitae Virginian but 5-6 feet trees are over $100 each. Bamboo is expensive too! I have hosta to divide. I love ornamental grasses and would love to incorporate them as well. Some more divisions from friends may come. But for the structure of the garden, year round height and color to screen the fence (whether y’all think it’s nice or not, we want a greenscape, we loved our trees), we need to bring back value and visual appeal for when we sell in a few years.
You’re all wonderful and planning this out will make us excited and able to tolerate the new view knowing what is to come 😊

marcommon I am zone 6a also and as I said the leyland spruce did the job for us

Yes the plants I suggested will grow in what I took to be a south facing, filtered shade, four hour full sun location. Ornamental grasses need full full sun or they get floppy and fall down. That is a vey sad and pathetic look. Forget the grasses. The bamboo is your grass. Bamboo is a grass.

I was afraid you were going to go with the suburban linear design model. A forty foot long, three foot wide strip butt up against the fence is not going enhance the value or the view. It is only going to accentuate the offending fence. The fence is dead to me. I care nothing about it. We are making a garden of value that will make the fence irrelevant.

For the planting I suggested, the shrub bed should be 8 feet deep at a minimum. A standard row of shrubs against the fence would need 6 feet of depth. Do not plant any Leyland Spruce. None. Whatever they are, I imagine they will be needing 12 to 15 feet of space and you are only willing to use three at this point

The view from the watch tower looks like you have plenty of spare lawn to give up. I want some of it. I need more space. I need a gentle curve. I need depth and layers.

But this is still design in the dark. Is the fence the side or back property line or something else? How does it relate to the house? How do you use the yard? Is this one single view from above the most important design consideration? I know how to do that too if needed.

There is a clump of Fargesia rufa in the top left corner.

There are a lot of good suggestions above for shrubs that grow in 4 hours of Sun, for example, azaleas, rhododendrons, viburnums, and many hydrangeas. I was thinking of Oakleaf hydrangea right away. Maybe just one or three specimen plants mixed with others higher and lower. Bigroot perennial geraniums and lamiums are two of the many groundcovers you could use between them. Once you are sure exactly where the property line is of course. Another thought I had was that in a few years, Vines like Boston Ivy and clematis could completely cover the fence, which by that time will have turned a dark brownish gray.

@christopher I really appreciate the thought you’re giving this. All points taken.

1. South facing
   2 4 hours moving direct sun , light shade thereafter
2. Backyard, parallel to house rear. Fence isn’t perfectly parallel.
3. Big family neighborhood, so buyers will likely use for games and parties
4. Unfortunately the grassy area isn’t very deep. I’d estimate the whole back, excluding beds and deck, is about 55 (40 of which abuts fence) by 27 feet deep. We lost about 5 feet in depth (what we thought was ours) since this happened, plus the view which us a major focal point. Our front yard is much larger but buyers here value the backyard.
5. The fence is dead to me too.
   You can see why we’re so frustrated. Added a few more photos.
   Thank you.
   
   

@Nancy thank you. Considering the litigious nature of our relationship I can’t cover the fence. I do have azaleas and small leaf rhododendron that were along the line which we dug up and hope yo incorporate.

Any shrub border is going to need 6 to 8 feet of bed depth period. The plants should be planted three feet minimum away from the fence. We don't need more lawyers involved. Right?

At this point it is just a matter of choosing a select plant grouping and arranging them in a manner that pleases you. I can tell from the blue Adirondacks and watering cans on the bench you have a good eye.

With my suggested plant grouping you would need: 1 magnolia, 2 bamboo and 6-8 Oak Leaf Hydrangea, ground cover height filler of choice or procurement and 30 bags of mulch.

@christopher Thank you. Any specific type of oak leaf (just read up and there are several) and ground cover? I also have big hosta that are the gift that keep on giving.

I would stain the fence dark so that it fades away into the plantings. A stain color similar to the rich color of tree trunks will usually work.

@beverly Oh how I wish I could but it’s their fencers and we’re not going to touch it 😞

Sad to not get along with next door neighbors. Sad y'all couldn't somehow agree on a straight line with a common fence. Given the future all but inevitable dispute over maintenance, perhaps you might talk with your lawyer about examining the plats of the two lots and making an offer to do that -- an equal land swap with no money changing hands.

Do like the BeverlyFLADeziner idea of staining the fence a dark natural wood stain ... better than painting it ( even a dark green ) since making the fence visually disappear would the best objective. That presents a problem.

Their putting their fence directly on the line should not remove your right to plant shrubs or anything else on your land, even directly beside the fence they erected directly beside your land.

Anything you plant to make the fence visually disappear, even entirely on your property, likely means it will eventually grow against their fence, potentially holding moisture against it and damaging potentially damaging it. If so, you might expect them to spray the shrubs on your land to kill the shrubs to protect their fence by trying to control what you plant on your land ... and thus begins yet another land line dispute.

If the fence is actually at/on the line, they'll not be able to come onto your property or even reach over the fence to maintain it or any stain or paint on it without trespassing.

You might try, in advance, to get an agreement to enable to stain your side of the fence so it visually disappears, perhaps even making it known is that the alternative will be to plant a hedge beside it.

Not a lawyer; suggest you consider having a conversation with one, with plats and any agreement or court orders in hand.

^^If you read any of the comments, you’d see they already had lawyers involved. The fence is the end result.

Yep. We tried everything. Even offered $ just for them to put the fence on the other side of the beautiful hemlocks. Offered them even more to buy the land. They wouldn’t compromise other than to agree they wouldn’t destroy the trees while we live here - we will retire in 2-3 years. And yep, they put the fence EXACTLY on the line and will never be able to come on this side.
They’re young - 20s - and being directed by a parent who lives out of state in a very different type of community.
Hopefully in 20 or so years with some maturity they’ll realize how badly they behaved. AND we had to destroy our shed bc it was 1 foot over the line.
Maybe I shouldn’t even pay the attorney 😞

You could build a fence in front of their fence to fence-off the view.

Could be worse. Wood will eventually soften to gray; big box plastic white fence will always be ... white plastic. Christopher's idea of a deep shrub border will be lovely. Different than what it used to be, but lovely in a whole new way.

Kudos for realizing these are youngsters, they could benefit from an example of a good neighbor. You had a dispute, dispute is resolved, life goes on, and maybe even someday you can welcome them to the neighborhood with a plate of cookies. Good luck with your yard and your neighbors.

Have you considered planting a "wall of china hedge" -- some green fence or green wall along the entire border for your green own view up to at least fence top height -- or six feet high (something you could trim the top if you chose ) -- and be done with it for a while -- foregoing any maintenance required grouping for a time -- putting your flowering shrubs in groupings of three positioned entirely well within your own yard.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159737118007302650/

https://www.google.com/search?q=wall+of+china+hedge&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi2yvjUhrrtAhVzFFkFHfhhAv4Q_AUoAXoECAcQAw&biw=1354&bih=648

If they're entitled to add a fence ON THE LINE then you could take the position that you should be able to do so, too, unless there is already an order or agreement to the contrary.

@suez A China hedge is the faux boxwood? Would that withstand nor’easters, I wonder?
We can certainly do whatever we want on our side since it’s our property. Except touch The Great Wall 😑

You're obviously very frustrated by how the situation developed, and disappointed by losing what you mistakenly understood to be part of your property. Anyone would be. That said, the fence is there and it's not going away so I'd try to move past the whole ordeal. Forget grudges or payback, including aggressive plants that will look foreign in your New England setting, and just work to make your garden beautiful.

Garden designers often talk about "borrowed views" -- incorporating the landscaping from adjacent properties. If you plant and nurture a shrub border along the fence line, the beautiful trees you planted will become part of your borrowed view. Once the vegetation disguises part of the fence, your eye will see those trees as part of the larger landscape. Have fun this winter planning your new planting bed. And remember the old adage, "Living well is the best revenge."

You can still see the beautiful hemlocks. Just not the very bottom. I am a bit stunned at all this - people bought the house and are perfectly entitled to do whatever they want with it. So they put up a fence - they are young, maybe planning on a family, and probably want to keep kids, pets, etc where they belong on their side of the fence. Seriously it’s not like a gorgeous lake view was spoiled.

I agree with @ShadyWillowFarm. The fence actually enhances the value of the property for resale - and you can still see the pretty green of the hemlocks, and have a few years before you plan to move so your new planting will have time to grow and settle in.

I would add some curvy beds with a mix of trees and shrubs.