Pergola in front garden

Questioner

In my front garden I have placed a pergola on both sides with open mesh of 10 x 10 between the posts which I let grow climbing plants. Height of posts is 2 meters. Now the neighbors have trouble with the fact that the mesh is growing over. Are they within their rights to ask me to keep the mesh partly open?

Lawyer

Your neighbours can request that you do not plant anything within 50 cm of the property boundary. In some municipalities, there is an exception to this legal rule. Your neighbours must tolerate plants that do not grow higher than the legal maximum height for a property boundary. A pergola is a piece of garden furniture and not a property boundary. You can therefore pay attention to the maximum required distance of plants to the property boundary that you will have to respect. If the pergola is outside 50 cm of the property boundary, the greenery may grow high.