I was afraid that was the issue. She has admitted to killing what she didn't like in the past.... ugh. I can out wait her. I have far more time than she does.

Does the top growth of your grass curve over and extend into her property? If its planted right on the line and the grass curves over into her space it probably drives her nuts, it would drive me nuts. If the whole top portion of the grass is all decently on your side, that is a different matter. My neighbors neglected privet, tree limbs that need yearly trimming paid by us and stealing my access to sun, fast growing vinca major, monkey grass and other non native aggressive plants are constantly coming over on my side and it irritates me to no end, you should be glad you don't live next to a slob. I have no mercy on the ugly stuff, I cut it back and don't hesitate to spray or paint stump killer on parts I cut.

Personally I don't like miscanthus grass for several reasons, maybe she doesn't either.

I'm guessing she has lived there longer than you, maybe she sees you as a cocky newcomer changing the neighborhood. Your superior comment about her age really hit me wrong, maybe the attitude comes across to her as well and she is fighting back.

Thats the stuff of border wars -- attitudes.

"Personally I don't like miscanthus grass for several reasons, maybe she doesn't either."

Regardless of either your personal likes or dislikes or the spray happy neighbor's, what she did is illegal. It has nothing to do with age or personal plant references or even attitude (although how you can read that into the post is a bit beyond me). Trimming back plants that encroach into your property is one thing.........careless spraying of an herbicide so that it damages or kills plants not on the property being sprayed is another matter altogether. It can frequently be the matter of civil lawsuits, not to mention fines assessed by whatever agency governs these issues in that state.

Excuse me? You were the one who brought up her advanced age, having far more time than her and waiting her out. What her age had to do with spraying herbicide was beyond me.

Re-read my post. I may have mentioned her "advanced age" but that was it.......nothing about "having far more time than her and waiting her out." And I only mentioned her age because the impression was given that this individual had been doing this for years, didn't much care about the impact and somehow seemed to think she could get away with it just because of her history of having done so many times before or perhaps some feeling of entitlement based on her age. Which you fed into with your comments about the "cocky newcomer" and "superior comment about her age ........ maybe the attitude comes across to her as well" - snarky comments at best. As I stated clearly, just a history of similar activity or the fact that she may be a senior citizen does not obviate the fact that this is NOT an acceptable practice.

Gardengal, My sincere apology. I needed to re-read your name not your post.

I was referring to the comments by the original poster, specifically the followup about her having more time and waiting her out which read like she was confidently waiting for the woman to die. I mistakenly thought it was her responding to my post because I didn't see anything wrong with what you posted. I didn't expect anyone else other than the original poster to become defensive because no one else wrote anything remotely offensive.

I was repulsed by the post made by the OP directly above my first post. I thought her 2nd comment sounded blatantly age discriminating, as if she had no respect for the woman based on her age and was going to wait it out because of being sure the woman would die (hopefully) sometime soon.

More often than not, neighbor disputes have two sides of the story and I did wonder about the attitude the older neighbor might be sensing especially after reading that comment. Sometimes we act so innocent when we know we aren't.

I'm sorry but "age discriminating"? Actually, it is more of a fact, and a matter of respect. I choose not to take an elderly, stubborn woman to court over landscaping issues because I plan on being in my home for decades to come, and she is over 85 and becoming infirm. Why would I chose to pick a fight about something that makes her happy in what are likely her last years?

If you read my original question again, I asked if I replanted, would miscanthus die again, if there was runoff of chemicals? I did not say anything else. My second post was a statement of fact.

She may kill everything I plant near the fence - she does. She admits to killing trees and plants ON my property because she didn't like them. Those were planted by the previous owner. I don't care a bit about that, because they did need to go. What I mind, is that I continually waste money on attempting to landscape, if all that is going to happen is it will die. Thus, my question.

But, I also find GardenGal's advice helpful, because I now know I won't be planting anything even close to my fence line. None have in the past come, come close to leaning over, waving or even touching the fence that IS MY FENCE, by the way. I also appreciate her reminding me that an elderly bully, can still be a bully.

This feisty lady, also re-landscaped and changed the grading on her entire city lot with 60 yards of dirt that substantially changed the drainage for all surrounding homes - which is very illegal, and has caused flooding on three lots around her. She also planted 6 hardwoods trees that while lovely, are completely unsuited for the lot size and that will eventually become a massive issue for all the neighbors. Her unsolicited commentary was "I won't be here to worry about it." She simply doesn't care.

I chose not to get engaged in a fight over grass near the fence line because I have other areas of my yard to focus on and have no need to waste energy on landscaping fusses with an elderly woman over a temporary (in the scheme of things) issue. Any attitude you may suspect someone might be feeling, is projection.

My neighbor and I have a good relationship, because I have a modicum of respect, and have no need to attack her over things I can adjust to for a few years and am happy to share my vegetable harvest with her. Just because I don't like some things she does, doesn't mean I disrespect or dishonor her. The implication by someone I don't even know, that I do, is insulting. But, then again I would never in a million years consider cutting down someone else's plants because they waved over the fence. Namaste.

Of course I don't know you, you don't know me either, its a public forum. I doubt I was the only one who found your 2nd comment inconsiderate. You're entitled to say it but don't expect everyone to like remarks like that. Remember there are many people from different age groups that participate on GW.

Apology accepted :-) Maybe because online communications are so impersonal with very little sense of tone, expression or body language, it is easy to read attitudes into posts that are not really there. As a senior myself, I did not find anything offensive about the OP's comments. I have encountered similar situations with other seniors who sometimes assume that their accumulated years and life experience somehow affords them behavioral "privileges" that would not be acceptable coming from someone younger. There are proper rules of decorum that should be followed by everyone, regardless of age, and one shouldn't get some "pass" on breaking the law (or act like a bullying queen bee) just because they are older.

I agree that age should not be a factor legally speaking and that its drift rather than runoff, if in fact it is a result of herbicide damage at all.

The problem with these situations is that although it is technically illegal, cases are nearly impossible to prove and who would actually spend the money and time pursuing legal action for some ornamental plants of nominal monetary value no matter what the age of the 'perp' is? Real cases usually involve agricultural situations due to serious crop damage, not nuisance overspray damage in neighborhoods.

Sometimes drift happens by accident for various reasons. I have had plants die due to the neighbors annual bermuda grass lawn service, on top of that, they blow leaf crud in my yard all the time when servicing the lawn next door. Spraying lawns is an all too common practice which I detest by the way along with much of the herbicide use going on. I don't have a lawn myself and plant mostly native plants and grasses. On the other hand, I am continually invaded by my neighbors aggressive plants growing out of bounds and out of hand. I handle this problem in ways I have developed over the years but we have spent 100's of dollars on the problem with tree trimmers just to protect our house. There are many types of less than perfect neighbors out there.

That said keeping good relations with a neighbor would be the best course and installing a tall wooden fence would be a possible solution.