In 2018, Jonathan Downing brought his dream house for £700,000 in South-West London. It was everything he dreamt it would be – that is, until he found Japanese knotweed growing behind his garden shed!

After an agreement could not be reached regarding the financing of the knotweed treatment, Jonathan Downing took Jeremy Henderson - the individual who sold him the house - to court. Following a 4-year long legal battle, legal fees were racked up, leaving Henderson left to pay £32,000 in damages, £95,000 for Downing’s legal fees, and almost £100,000 of his own legal fees.

More...

Whether you're an avid gardener or a homeowner who's come across Japanese knotweed in their garden, you might be wondering whether Japanese knotweed can cause skin irritation. You should always be cautious when you're touching plants in your garden because, besides the common nettles and thistles that we all know have a nasty sting, other plant species can be irritants too.

It's advisable that you wear gardening gloves and long-sleeved clothing whenever you're working in the garden, to reduce the chances of skin irritation. But is Japanese knotweed one of the plants you need to worry about?

More...