This is one of the smaller ones she has planted. Part of me is feeling as if I should let it go, but another part of me thinks not. I really would love honest opinions/advice from all of you!

Give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile.
No good deed goes unpunished.
Etc.

This would upset me too, Cynthia, and make me wish I hadn't been so nice in the beginning. I think that from a practical point of view, you've given up 9 inches of your yard pretty much forever. Still, I think it is totally reasonable to point out that permission for the fence is not permission for anything else, especially if you're concerned about an annoying encroachment like rose thorns. I wish I could think of a really nice friendly way to do that.

Neighbors. Pfftbbl!

TM

IMO you have the right to ask her to remove the roses. I have clematis on my neighbors fence and each year I ask if it is working for him. He loves them but I am very aware that it is his fence and yard.

In some states there is a provision that after so many years of use of another's land it becomes the user's land. You might want to check your laws.

I agree with TM, to start off with it was probably within their rights to build the fence with the back side facing you although I don't know about this since it is on your property, it certainly wasn't very considerate of them and.... if I was in their shoes I definitely would be consulting you about what was planted on the fence as it is on your property, that's just common sense and being a good neighbor.
When we put up our fence we built it with the good side facing our neighbors on both sides, the back since it was on the highway side we built it good side facing in :).

If it was me I'd have a few words with them about your concerns and if they get their knickers in a twist over it, I'd tell them this is not working out and the fence needs to be moved back to the property line. If they are reasonable people there shouldn't be a problem, if they aren't well that's another kettle of fish, if you get my drift.

Annette

Thanks all. Now, I just need to figure out a nice way to say it.

Lovely to have you for advice!

Cynthia

Cyn, I gardened my neighbors property for years. But I asked her first! Her daughter LOVED my garden, but my neighbor didn't love the labor, so I asked to garden under her daughters windows. I planted shrubs with scented flowers, roses, and lots of pink. My neighbor did not have to tend or water anything, and she was quite happy about it.
I baked some cookies and took them over and asked her when her daughter was not present (because the little girl would have begged for the garden) - I didn't want to hurt her feelings because that area was a weedy, untended mess and we looked at it from dining room and kitchen. She was thrilled to have some garden and not tend it - be able to cut flowers and enjoy without doing a thing.
When they wanted to sell the house she came to me afraid to tell me about selling and the fate of that little garden. Low and behold we bought the house. Now it's my own little garden - or part of it. The grounds of that home is now my much, much bigger garden :)
Another neighbor was in my yard once a few years back. I didn't know her (behind us neighbor) and she pointed to a spot saying it would make the perfect place for her vegetable plot. Uh, no. That's my yard....we eventually became friends, she's just lovely and I have no idea why on earth she ever thought of putting her garden in my yard. I merely suggested to her that vegetable gardens are much easier to tend closer to the home. That's where hers is now.
I would talk to your neighbor about how reserved you are about the whole conversation, that you don't want to offend her at all, but the simple fact is, that is your property and she didn't ask. You can just let her know that you are sorry, but you'd not really care to have a garden there. Perhaps the two of you can find a lovely spot in her own yard for a garden.