Beginner Gardening: Help my neighbor is a creeper Plant ideas for privacy hedge?, 4 by LakeLivingRos

LakeLivingRos wrote:
Hey guys! Thanks for all the good thoughts and help! It has truly made a big difference :).

Update: I can't even describe how better it is that the bamboo is up! I don't know what the deal is.. but it seems that he is not home as much anymore now that the bamboo is up? (At least what I can tell when I come home from his car not being parked in the driveway..).

The great thing is I can't tell if he comes and goes! And the obvious that he can't see me and I can't see him! It has been so much better gardening, and I just feel much more comfortable. Feeling not so rushed to plant things is nice too, because I can take my time to decide plants I love.

One weird thing that I started to notice however.. was some weird noises coming from his house.. it's strange, I never heard them before.. and I can't really tell what it sounds like.. but 1. it must be loud since I can hear it from inside his house and 2. can't tell if it is crying and arguing over the phone or something, or some sort of porn?

I don't know if it is some sort of thing he is trying to do on purpose since he can no longer see me.. or if he just feels more comfortable and does more weird things by himself when he can't be seen.. This weekend I was tending to weeding near the fence line (which I can now do and not be visually creeped on!) and I swear the noises were going on for at least 6 hours.. On Monday I was deadheading some of my roses and I heard it too.

Another great benefit to the bamboo fence, is that it seems to keep the weeds from his side at bay too. I can't remember if I had mentioned this.. but his yard is full of nasty blackberry bushes, foxtail, dandilions, ivy, nettle.. among a few.. at least I don't have to see the broken t.v. and garbage that has been sitting outside his house for almost a year now..

I realized I am starting to have another problem.. two of his large trees that hand way over on our property almost touching our roof seem to be in poor condition. One is a red cedar, which I don't mind as it provides shade and I think we can just cut it back from our roof, but the other is a beautiful tree (I think some sort of old cherry?) as it is deciduous, 30+ ft tall?, has red cherry looking fruit (which seem to be dropping off now in June), and are smaller than cherries.., with white, pink, and green colors in different seasons.. anyways.. I am concerned that it is infected with a disease and bad insects.. problem is I am obviously too afraid to confront about this.. and I am pretty sure in Washington State, you must at least notify, if not ask permission to cut back a neighbors tree that is overhanging the line.. and I think you can be arrested if you damage a neighbors tree (we have strong environmental laws here!) One of my biggest worries is that it will destroy my shaded plant garden (along with the house.. Like I said, I don't mind the tree since it is pretty and the other is a nice shade..

I am attaching some photos asking what you guys may think I should do? I don't know whether I am overreacting or if this should be something I address.. If it is a valid concern I should have, what do you think is the best way to handle the situation? I don't want the trees cut down, or even cut back too far, but I don't want sick infected branches falling on me, my plants or my house!

The pictures #1,2, &4 are of the cherry? tree and where the branches look dead or in poor health. They have no foliage on them, and in one shot you can see this web type thing on it. #3 & 5 are photos of how much the cedar overhangs onto the house.

Anyways, I would appreciate any and all advice you guys have for me!

Thanks :)