singh.harper•5d agoProlific Poster

My neighbor killed my prized peony with Roundup and now I dig a trench between our yards

Last spring I noticed my Sarah Bernhardt peony was wilted and brown on just one side. Turns out my neighbor sprayed weedkiller along the fence line on a windy day. I lost a plant I had been growing for 8 years. Now every spring I spend an afternoon digging a 6 inch trench and lining it with plastic before I plant anything near the fence. Has anyone else dealt with a neighbor's herbicide drift ruining their garden?

3 comments

3 Comments

emery105d ago

I mean maybe I'm missing something but it kinda sounds like you escalated this way more than necessary. Roundup drift happens sometimes, it's not like he sprayed your plant on purpose to ruin your life. Digging a trench and laying plastic every year seems like a lot of effort when you could have just had a quick conversation about being more careful in the future.

adam_baker4d ago

Oh man, I totally get why you dug that trench. It's not just about one plant, it's about the principle of the thing. When you spend years babying something like a Sarah Bernhardt peony and someone wipes it out in five seconds because they couldn't be bothered to check the wind, that trust is gone. And it's not even about being mad at the neighbor forever, it's about making sure it literally never happens again without having to rely on them remembering to be careful. That plastic lined trench is basically your insurance policy, and honestly, I respect the commitment.

amy_martin4d ago

My buddy Mike had the same issue with his neighbor's leaf blower. He'd spent three seasons building up this dianthus border along the fence line. One afternoon neighbor fires up the blower full blast right into the bed. Destroyed a full ten feet of it. Mike tried talking to him. Guy said he'd "try to remember" to aim the other way. So Mike planted a row of super hardy junipers right along the property edge. Thick and prickly. Neighbor can't get close enough to do damage anymore. Sometimes you just gotta build your own wall.