A man is urging homebuyers to check gardens during property viewings after he inherited a problem that ended up costing a fortune to fix. Michael McEvoy, 64, bought a semi-detached home in Ramsgate with his wife 10 years ago. He loved the garden, which featured a boundary of bamboo that helped to stop neighbours looking in. But over the course of this summer everything changed, when the hot weather saw the bamboo explode in growth, leaving Michael stunned.

His neighbours reported that the plant dubbed "the next Japanese knotweed" had appeared in their garden – and was emerging through their concrete path. Hidden behind the couple’s shed, the plant’s spread had gone unnoticed, but further investigation revealed shoots growing inside the shed where the floor adjoined the wall.

Gardene

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