Etiquette RE: Bushes hanging property line

7:14 also assumes that the neighbor will properly take care of plants (i.e. trimming clematis in fall or spring) but this is often not the case. if it grows into your yard and you do not want it – cut it.

7:14 was referring to the misconceptions being bandied about regarding vines. Also, generally, we have seen this too, a lot of Weekend Gardeners like to get out and misprune leaving a very non-charming view. Most people don’t have the vaguest idea what they’re doing when they get a pair of loppers in their hands.

wow, 7:14–that’s a lot of info…not exactly what the poster asked, though…

Frankly, unless you have a hazard, why bother hacking away at things? We have gorgeous roses that spill into our yard from the neighbors and a number of other bushes…it makes for a much softer boundary…softens the hardness of the fence and creates bird habitat.

More than pruning, you might want to be very thorough weeding out invasive tree seedlings: locust, Norway maples, ailanthus, chokeberry, etc.

To the guest who is worried about vines: you cannot lump climbing plants into one group with one set of characteristics. Many vines are not aggressive and may stay within bounds. Others may sprawl. The sprawling type may be welcome.

Vines with issues to watch out for:
o English Ivy (ilex hedera) that will root into wooden fences and mortar lines.
o Climbing Hydrangea which also has a tendency to root into mortar.
o Asian Bittersweet which grows much, much larger than the native Northeast American type. Birds spread the seeds all over the Northeast. Good luck getting rid of it once it is established.
o Poison Ivy! Keep your eyes out for this one. We have it in Brooklyn. I’ve seen it growing up many trees at Cadmun Plaza. Be careful if you have to remove it. NEVER let it get out of control because the large it gets the harder it will be to deal with later!
o Wisteria–as the vines grow and age, they can bend/wreck just about any metal support and will also pull certain architectural details such as stone or iron balusters off buildings, away from balconies and stoops.
o Some “wild” rambler roses which people might dig up in the “wild” when traveling outside of NYC and think will look good in their garden. Next thing you know, you have a monster in the garden. Also, some of these imported roses are available commercially. Remember, in a Brooklyn backyard you probably do not need erosion control! Also be aware that many named varieties of bred-up ramblers can get out of hand in our yards. In fact, certain large-flowering roses sold as climbers can become monsters. Unless you want to train a climber up many floors of a south-facing wall, do not go with the larger varieties.
o Himalayan blackberry–this variety produces big berries and canes out of a fairy tale…looks like it should be surrounding a castle…can be used in place of razor wire…needs careful management! Some climbing roses are as big and thorny as this type of blackberry (they are all related)
o Some varieties of grapes can get enormous (native “wild” grapes and native crosses such as Concord). They can be kept in bounds by yearly pruning (fruiting nodes are 8-15 on Concord grape canes so you have to keep them long if you want fruit…European grapes tend to fruit much closer to the main vine so can be pruned to be much smaller). Some varieties of grape are diminutive and used for their decorative look.
o Morning glories—just avoid them. They’re a favorite of first-time gardeners and renters…but they are the gift that keeps on giving. They become nuisances because their seeds have a high survival and germination rate. Seeds can survive years before germinating and the plants, if left to take over (say you go away for a while in the summer) can nearly smother other plants, roses, etc. that they climb over. Plus, if you plant a large-flowered hybrid, the children the next years revert back to the smaller-flowered non-spectacular type.

Vines you should not freak out over:
o Grapes: See above…just have good supports for the vines and do your research on varieties and what your yard and time can handle…do you want grapes for eating, jam or wine?… Great food for the birds too!
o Virginia creeper: this native can protect walls from rain, keep houses cooler in summer, offer habitat and food for birds, and offers great fall color. Virginia creeper has a palmate leaf structure unlike its close cousin Asian “Boston Ivy” which has maple/grape vine shaped leaves. The native is preferred. The plant does not eat into mortar. It *does*, though, set down pads which you might not like. It rarely sticks to glass but may try to hold onto screens. Yearly maintenance may be necessary but it can be quite beautiful and give you a wall of green the birds like too.
o Clematis: most are pretty good–they twine and these stems do not thicken beyond a certain point. The spring-blooming pink or white montana varieties (spec-tac-u-lar) can get big–but gorgeous. Prune after flowering. The fall, white-flowering varieties also get big (tends to self-seed all over Brooklyn). Prune them in spring before growth gets going. With the more diminutive hybrids with big flowers that begin appearing in late May and bloom sometimes through summer, they really tend not to get too big in our climate. They are usually pruned in spring before or as new growth starts, have fragile, twining stems and rarely get anywhere near as big at their spring and fall blooming cousins.
o Rambler and climbing roses are their own story and can get enormous as noted above: do your research on any variety you would like to plant and be prepared to do yearly pruning…you will probably be rewarded with great flowers. Climbers are usually pruned in late winter/early spring and ramblers, which tend to have more flexible, thinner canes, often are pruned after bloom. Some people may not like it, but we have a climber and a rambler using a tall tree as support. Flowers cascade down from the tree. Very nice but cannot be pruned…
o English ivies: there are a number of varieties that can be kept in bounds. Frankly, we like it growing up our large tree since it gives it some green in winter. We also have a variegated type that is small and charming (the variegated varieties tend to be less aggressive)
o Trumpet vine: this native should be grown all over Brooklyn. If you have a sunny spot and a support structure, grow it. It attracts hummingbirds, etc. Come summer, some very floriferous specimens can be found at the Pacific Street Brooklyn Bears Community Garden on Flatbush not far from 4th Avenue. Check’em out…just don’t let the vine dig air-roots into wooden fences. It doesn’t damage them as much as English ivy but still, be aware this can be an issue.
o Honeysuckle: double-edged sword. If you keep it in check, it can be great. Preferably, grow the native which is visually spectacular but has no fragrance. The very common East Asian pale yellow/white/cream honeysuckle is very fragrant but needs some maintenance.
o Kiwi: there is a smooth-skinned kiwi you can grow here in the region. It needs support to twine around.
o Passion flower: yes, we have a native passion flower. Try it. You may like it. You can also choose lots of non-native varieties that can give a great season of interest and either be wintered over indoors or left outside to croak.
o Vines related to morning glories but doable: moonflower and cardinal flower. Moonflowers are spectacular, opening in the evening with an Easter lily scent. They attract native nocturnal moths that resemble and appear to fly like hummingbirds. Fascinating to kids *and* adults! Cardinal flowers are tubular, red flowers on fine fines that do not get out of hand. They attract hummingbirds during the day.
o Dutchman’s Pipe: this exotic flower has a native variety that grows in this region. The vine will stay in check. The tropical varieties have larger, more colorful flowers and will die if left out during our winters. You can bring them in a pot to over winter.

Have fun gardening. Pruning can be “fun” and you get your aggressions out but try to consider how you might be destroying the current season’s picturesque plantscape outside your window, bird habitat, green relief from the urban setting, etc. before going crazy with the loppers and pruners.

More important than hacking away at some shrubs handing over your fence: make sure you don’t have standing water anywhere that mosquitos can breed in. A bird bath is okay if you dump the water every day or two. For fish ponds, there are microbial options that keep mosquito populations down and do not hurt the fish.