Help! We are trying to tidy our garden, but the task is being made much more difficult by all the vegetation spreading across from next door. With the combination of sun and rain we have been experiencing over recent weeks, everybody's gardens have been growing like topsy -- so you are probably by no means alone in facing this problem at the moment! That said, the issue of vegetation spreading across boundary lines is actually pretty commonplace, whatever the state of the weather. The short answer to you question is that by law, you are entirely within your rights to trim the offending trees, shrubs or whatever back to the centre-line of the boundary. However, even though they are encroaching on your space, the cuttings themselves remain the property of your neighbour. Therefore, not only are you again entirely within your rights to chuck everything back over the fence, but strictly speaking, you are legally bound to do so! (Interestingly, for some reason, the opposite is true of overhanging fruit or veg. When it comes to anything edible, the law is clear - if it's on your side of the boundary line, then it's yours!) Now, obviously, I'm not advocating that you handle this matter in quite the cavalier way that the law appears to allow. Indeed, you might be surprised how often really serious disputes can arise from something as simple as cutting down a few branches. So, unless you're already in a state of open warfare with your