It IS the bane of MY existence and has been ever since I STUPIDLY planted it 18 years ago. It's Hedera Helix. It grows UNDER the patio and comes out the other side, then goes under the fence where I have since planted many clematis vines, therefore cannot spray Round-Up or any other weed killer. I rip as much as possible when I can see it well - in Spring and Fall after everything else has died back - then I use a product called 'Vinex' (you can google it - I had to buy it online but I hear ACE hardware carries it). But you must be very careful with it because it will kill everything it touches including 100 year old trees (eventually). I use the little 'paintbrush' tip on the container and apply to the end of the vine - pulling it back as far as I can until I can no longer get any out of the ground - then paint Vinex on it (about a half-inch of the vine). But if you are successful -- and it will not happen fast -- your neighbors will no longer have it either. The other major mistake of my life was Boston Ivy. And Trumpet Vine. And Sweet Autumn Clematis - which grew under the house and came out the other side. I need to move. Westy

What do you do about neighbours who come from reckless, entitled backgrounds and have been conditioned to believe 'they know it all' AND 'can get away with anything'? I've wasted nearly thirty years on a succession of these types (one of whom tried to trespass claim and stole my metered water and hose, I caught him once, Him saying he'd left his at his church: yes, a pastor). I'd sweetly advised such types of what they Should Do to enable civil relations, but they intimidated ME to get ME to move, sometimes by secretly contracting a real estate agent to help me along or by making false claims to the cops. Even their friends and relations defend their ignorant actions and think it's OK to also mow you, your dog and random birds down! U think I kid? So they steal two of my fences and let their ivy eat the third one: pulling it kills my hands and my trees. If trees fall because of their ivy, I hope it's in their direction. So I have to document everything = exhausting! You won't have a chance of success in a BC court against Old Families. Otherwise I'd sue.

The bird in her photo is definitely a European Starling, and Starlings commonly travel in large, noisy flocks, however it is very easy to confuse European Starlings with Grackles because both species exhibit the same noisy flocking habits and aggressive natures. To make identification even more difficult European Starlings & Grackles often flock together and in some instances they even nest in large group settings. Both European Starlings and Common Grackles are problematic to people because they will often exploit small openings the siding, soffits and fascia of our structures to nest in attics or wall cavities. When I was kid I lived on a dairy farm and our old farmhouse had redwood plank siding. One season so many grackles and starlings got into the siding that our entire house was infested with bird lice. To clear the mess we had to strip the siding off the house, clean all the straw, twigs and other nesting materials out of the wall cavities and the entire house had to be fumigated to kill the lice. I have often seen flocks of Starlings and Grackles land on a freshly planted field and the flock would cover an entire acre or more. STARLINKA- I am flattered that you would like my photo for wallpaper. Feel free to use any photo I post for that purpose. The only thing I ask is that people do not use my photos for commercial purposes. I post them free and I would expect others to share them for the same price, In fact, if you or any of the others would like a specific species for wallpaper please feel free to send me an email and i will see if I have something you might like. Thank you,

My answer is two fold. First, if you were to ask me before planting, I'd probably counsel against using a pecan (or hickory) near a home, or on a small lot. general litter and limbs dropping are the primary reasons. I'd also counsel against a Liriodendron, for the same reason(s). But then...if you really like a particular tree, go for it. There really aren't any "rules", much less laws (I have seen a few communities where you can't plant cottonwood or silver maple within a certain setback of the property line, but those have been rare instances). And if you want a particular type of tree, go for it. The world is a place of amazing and wondrous diversity, and I fully believe you should be able to embrace it. Sometimes we get a little too uptight over how far away from things trees are planted. You name the crazy idea that people could come up with, I've heard it, and for the most part, there's more to the story.