These were the huge Willow and Sycamore trees in the sunshine on Sunday morning. The Willow on the left is in the garden of the house over the back and the Sycamore is right in the corner of my next door neighbours garden.
Both neighbours came to tell me they'd got together to have the trees cut down, both trees getting too big for where they are.
My first thought was 'Oh No' but actually I'll get a lot more sun light into the bungalow, greenhouse and garden and no more leaves to clear - the Sycamore dumps loads in my garden.
Abby next door said she hates having to have the Sycamore down but it's damaging their shed and cutting out all the light from their house and garden and is just way too big for the space between their house, the house behind them and my bungalow. This bit of the estate was built in 1983 and I guess both trees were planted back then with no thought on how big they would get in 40 years.
The willow was first to go.
I won't really notice the difference until summer, but now I'll get sun right through the afternoon and evening. I think the greenhouse plants will appreciate it. I might get fewer pigeons in the garden too as they won't be able to nest in the Sycamore every year.
Before and after
Back Soon
Sue
(and thank you for comments yesterday - I've replied to all now.)
I agree with you that it is sad to see mature and healthy trees being felled, but I agree with the decisions for these two - I am not particularly fond of sycamore either, we are surrounded by them at work. A couple of years ago they went mad and produced what felt like gazillions of seeds of which most seemed to sprout! We were weeding them up for weeks and weeks!
ReplyDeleteI was so sad when my neighbours oak was cut down in Dorset. There were fewer birds singing afterwards.
ReplyDeleteAn oak is a different thing - much more precious than a sycamore
DeleteSycamores are like weeds here, just come up all over, always pulling them out. They grow very quickly and don’t even make good firewood, perhaps the willow should have been pollarded even lower, it will sprout again. I saw some pussy willow on a walk yesterday so Spring could be on its way.Sarah Browne
ReplyDeleteHere, Sycamores are a pest! I don't have any on my land but it is a constant battle sweeping leaves and pulling up saplings. This spring, I am having to pay a gardener to come and remove over a dozen that I am unable to pull out myself all because my neighbours have them on their property. What galls me is their demands that I weed out my dandelions!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on tree's, our neighbours trees fill the back end of our garden with leaves, they don't stop the sun in our garden, it will come to a point where they will need to be trimmed. Our Magnolia we sort each year to keep it small.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy watching tree surgeons at work. I agree that it's sad to see mature trees being cut down, but it's necessary sometimes for a variety of reasons.
ReplyDeleteThe previous owners planted their Christmas tree at the bottom south west corner of the garden back in about 1956. By the time we moved in 30 years later it was 40 feet tall and it took all the sun and moisture. When it was felled it completely filled our garden and we were very glad to see it gone.
ReplyDeleteSad but necessary. But am I right to say that at least the willow will be there when it recovers.
ReplyDeleteWe asked the neighbour behind us if he'd mind cutting back some of his trees that draped over our fence and garden last year, he was very obliging about it. They weren't meant to be trees, they were shrubs really, but had been neglected and left untrimmed for years and showered our garden with leaves and seeds last year, it was a blimmin nuisance having to rake them all up constantly. I'm glad he did, as well as meaning much less work for us, it was surprising the amount of extra light we got.
ReplyDeleteI agree it's always sad to see mature trees cut down, but sometimes there are benefits. When we had to have our huge oak tree cut down shortly after moving to Wales we made sure to plant a lot more trees on our land instead ... just not in the same place. It cost us a lot of money to have it taken down and the wood planked, but it went on to do a lot of good, including providing window frames for an old cottage further along the hillside and numerous stables and benches ... and of course firewood for us from the smaller branches.
ReplyDeleteNot 'stables' ... that should have said 'tables'. :-)
DeleteIt is interesting to watch the tree cutters moving up high in the branches and bringing it all down safely. It's a risky talent they have.
ReplyDeleteI certainly wouldn't want to be up there!
DeleteIt is sad, but from the other side, we've got two very old maple trees in the back yard. They are huge, the whole back yard is kept in the shade, and worst of all, every time that there is a strong wind, we lose branches. I think they might be dangerous. But the man says that they are healthy and not rotten.
ReplyDeleteNow I know my greenhouse is safe, so that's good.
DeleteIt is sad but people often plant the wrong kind of trees in their garden forgetting that the roots sometimes cause problems as they spread. We have a neighbour across the road with a silver birch which swayed ominously during the recent storm and would have caused a lot of damage had it fallen. It needs to be pruned for safety but they only deal with it when someone complains. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI think these were 40 years old and much too big for the space. I'll see how it is in the summer - will be good to have more sun
DeleteSad but sometimes necessary…some people a couple of doors away have a row of fir trees…and they have grown so tall now that they block out even some of our light a couple of gardens away. Each time a storm came we looked out the window and hoped…but they still stand.
ReplyDeleteOpposite my property - and between it and a truly wonderful view - is a house (unoccupied) hemmed about by big fat fir trees of various bushy kinds. I am hopeful with every storm but no . . .
DeleteThere are some huge lime trees in the church yard over the road. I hope they never get blown down it would cause chaos
DeleteIt is sad to see large trees taken down.
ReplyDeleteThe sunlight will be much different without the trees. I hope your neighbors plant new trees. Ornamental trees that grow much smaller would be a good option.
Their garden is smaller than mine so I don't think they will replace it. They don't do gardening!
DeleteSycamores are not my favourite trees. I have a really HUGE one at the edge of the orchard and that dumps no end of leaves in the autumn. The Willow will probably grow back twice as prolific now!
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised at the Willow I thought they were taking it right down, will see what it does in the spring
DeleteWe had tree surgeons in the week before Christmas to prune our 2 very large cherry trees. Pruning was what we asked for. Instead, both trees were pollarded - just like the willow - they look awful and I've got everything crossed that in time both trees will be back. Its a very sad sight at the moment!
ReplyDeleteWhen we moved into this house we had about 16 trees in our yard, some of which were very large and very dangerous. Harvey and I took down some of the smaller ones ourselves, but the larger ones we hired a tree company to remove. We kept two of the mature trees, and have planted 2 cherry and a pear tree. We get way more sunlight in our garden now. And we still get a bit of shade on our deck in the backyard (back garden).
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
In my city in Canada every grade 1 child is given a tree seedling on the first Thursday in May, which is Arbor day. The tree seedling is probably about 12" tall and is to be planted on private property. They are usually Lodgepole Pines or White Spruce and can grow to be 30 metres tall. This program was started in 1958 so you can imagine how tall those trees are today. Unfortunately lots of these seedlings were planted right up in the flower bed in front of the house and now the roots have destroyed the house foundations and blocked lots of sunlight. or if they were planted within 6 feet of the public sidewalk they are now on city property and you would face a fine if you cut it down because it's not on your property.
ReplyDeleteI would so freak out being a tree guy! I'm with you -- I hate to see them come down, though I know that sometimes they must because of being diseased or unstable and too near power lines or roofs. Still, a loss. I'm glad you get more light from it, though.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad when some trees getting taken away. But for sure when trees are close to houses and garages it needs to get trimmed or taken away. I remember a tree we had for years broke when we had an ice storm a few years ago. We have another tree now that isn't big and won't let it get too big. I saw there was one tree in the median area that I drive home on is leaning a bit. No windstorms lately but will see what will happen if it fall over onto the road. Have a good weekend!!
ReplyDeleteNice snowy plate with a barn on it. I have two of those plates. I got it some years ago at a thrift store. Enjoy the remaining winter days!!
DeleteIt is sad to see the trees cut down, but, as you say, they were planted many years ago with no thought of how big they would get. I'm pretty sure that the Christmas trees we planted will be like that sometime in the future! We won't be around by then lol
ReplyDelete