Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Going, Going, Gone.

At the bottom of my garden is my veg garden and beyond the veg garden was a tree.  A beautiful paper bark cherry with coppery peeling bark.


It was here when I moved in and has grown steadily ever since.  It had got big.  Too big.  It was casting shade over the entire veg garden and had reached 1/2 way across my neighbour's garden too.


Sadly I made the decision that it had to go.  It's never easy deciding to get rid of a tree, especially a beautiful tree, but there was no other feasible option.

I started by taking the canopy out and immediately the light flooded back into the garden.


It was at this point that I realised that cutting the canopy out had done some damage to the tendons in my elbow and I was going to need help to finish the job.

Cue handy friend who came round and sawed the rest of it down.


I now have a bench that I can use again as it's not totally shaded, a sunny veg garden and a large pile of logs to deal with - when my arm is better and I can lift them that is.

13 comments:

Marigold Jam said...

Sad but sometimes trees do have to go or we'd all be living in a forest. Do hope your arm gets better soon and don't try and lift too much at a time!

elaine said...

It is always a big decision to make regarding tree removal. Such a shame really but sometimes they just get out of hand. We have a huge cotoneaster type tree in the front garden that really wants dealing with it is full of berries and over winter the blackbirds love it. But however much I top prune it it just gets bigger and bigger every year - I think we'll just have to get the men in to deal with it in the end

Your new tree-free are now looks a lovely sunny spot - hope your veg patch appreciates the sacrifice made on its behalf.

Mystic Quilter said...

The bark was beautiful and always sad to cut down a tree but we have had to lose two trees, they had just grown too big and were shading a huge area in the back garden. At least, as you say, you can enjoy a sunny spot on your bench.

Celia Hart said...

Although the bark is beautiful I can see why it had to go and your garden will be so much better with more light. And you'll be able to grow more vegetables next year.
And you have some very smart coppery shiny logs!

crafty cat corner said...

What a shame, such a beautiful tree, but I can see why you did it.
Briony
x

Anonymous said...

As the others have said before me, sad but necessary; think of the potential though.

Janneke said...

What a beautiful bark the tree had but sometimes we have to take decisions and in change you have a sunny spot with vegetables growing better.

freerangegirl said...

I had to do something similar earlier this year and although it was sad to see it go it's given so much light that other plants can thrive now. I bet yours do the same.

Anna said...

Always sad to see a mature tree go but it sounds that both your garden and the neighbour's will benefit Su. Hope that your elbow soon recovers.

Jo said...

Such a shame but I can totally understand why it had to go. We had a silver birch in our back garden, far too large a tree for the size of garden we've got, so that had to go a few years ago. We've still got one in our front garden though.

chloris said...

Beautiful bark on Prunus serrula but unfortunately trees can get too big. I have several in my garden that should go really, to give me more light. It is hard to do though. I keep putting off the decision.

CATHY DANIEL said...

We are forever tackling the trees in our garden - they are good and bad at the same time. I could do with a 'handy friend' like yours sometimes! Hope the arm is better by now. xCathy

Hoehoegrow said...

Taking a tree down is full of conflicting emotions, as you say. It is so amazing to see sunlight flooding into a previously shady spot, but it is like losing a friend !