Well, the tree-trimming adventure is done, and from my perspective, it worked out pretty well. I explained to the guys what I wanted -- some greenery for wildlife and a natural barrier between us and the apartments, while trying to make the apartment caretaker happy by clearing the complex's precious brick wall. I also wanted them to assess the health of the elder trees and remove any dead material.
Here's a rather distorted (thanks to the pano setting on my iPhone) picture of what we started with:
And here's how it ended up, a couple of hours later:
As you can see, they removed a ton of ivy and quite a bit of old and dead wood from the interior of that thicket, but they left the ivy and climbing roses in the tops of the trees (without cutting the stalks running up the wall, thus hopefully preserving the greenery).
They got quite ambitious, ascending a ladder into the top of this old elder and pruning out dead branches. (Good Lord! I really need to clean that aluminum shed, don't I?!)
Olga, watching from inside, was very concerned.
On the plus side, I've seen birds flitting around in the trees since the work was completed, so they're obviously not put off. And the tree guys assured me that the elders are healthy and the weight of the remaining ivy shouldn't be a problem.
However, the story doesn't end there.
Even before this work began, I told Dave that no matter what we did, the caretaker wouldn't be satisfied. And sure enough, within an hour of the tree crew's departure, he was complaining that they didn't cut enough. I got a bit snippy and said I'd spent a lot of money to address his concerns and he was welcome to cut whatever overhangs the wall on his side. (Which is the law in Britain anyway.)
I think I've gone out of my way to achieve a good compromise, and I certainly am under no obligation to please this guy. (Who, frankly, won't be happy with anything short of scorched earth.) But I do feel some dread about what he may do if/when he starts cutting. He can't cut on our side but who knows what he'll dare to try. I'm not sure this is really over.
On the bright side, at the end of the day, these aren't my trees. None of this is really my problem. I wrote the landlords (with whom we're sharing this expense) and told them the caretaker is still grousing so they won't be surprised if he contacts them, but as far as I'm concerned, my duty here is done.
This morning we're off to the hospital for Dave's hernia surgery. I'm sure it will go fine, but as I told a friend, I suspect a lot of my tree anxiety is really misplaced Dave anxiety.
Oh, and by the way, I put a stake in the ground next to the crocuses I mentioned yesterday so the tree guys wouldn't walk on them -- and they survived!
32 comments:
I was going to suggest putting a chair over the crocuses to protect them. The growth has certainly thinned the growth out.
The neighbour is only a caretaker for goodness sake. What a tosser.
Those tree guys seem to know what they do. To my non-expert eyes, it looks like they have cut and removed just the right amount of stuff - not too much, just enough to clear things up near the wall and let more light on the ground.
I hope the caretaker won't make things overly difficult for you.
And most of all, I hope all went as well as expected with Dave's surgery, and much of your anxiety has subsided.
Sending good vibes for Dave's surgery, hope all goes well. Will he need a stay in hospital?
ps I can't see much difference in the "before and after !"
Hope all goes well with the surgery and the recovery is good.
I must admit I had trouble with the "Spot The Difference" challenge. Why does the caretaker give a damn anyway? Isn't he supposed to be caring for the house? I hope that Dave's hernia surgery goes well.
And the crocuses survived! Those were good tree guys.
Thinking of Dave and wishing him a speedy and painless (relatively recovery.
All the best for Dave and speedy recovery. The trees and your garden will be happy with a bit more sunlight coming through while still providing shelter and shade. It would be such a pity if that caretaker gets his way.
You can cut an elder back hard and it will return, fruit on second year wood.
They did a good job.. drastic would be no good for the wildlife
It looks good, the work they did. Like you, I would fear what the cranky caretaker might do out of spite. Ultimately, your gardens will be beautiful no matter what.
I've heard/seen so many neighbor disputes over trees and shrubs planted right on the boundary lines. As a result, I always try to plant stuff that will stay within my boundary lines completely. This house came with four mulberry trees right on the only border we share with a neighbor. I don't know who planted them but I assumed responsibility and always kept all the twigs picked up on my neighbor's side since she was elderly. A couple years ago I asked if I can just remove them since they were old and half dead and she agreed. Since they have been gone, I've been much happier having an open border with nothing really to dispute.
I imagine that Dave's surgery is already over by now and I hope it went well. You know we are quite experienced in our family with hernia repairs. Glen's had several, Jessie one, May one as an infant, and Vergil one. They all survived and recovered nicely. I wish the same outcome for Dave!
And as we speak I am watching a grown human man with a chainsaw, in the sky part of a tree which I now realize is much bigger than I thought it was, sawing off branches one by one. I'm as nervous as my cats.
My son-in-law just had hernia surgery last Friday. It was done arthroscopically from the pectoral area all the way down to his groin. Mesh was inserted and everything fixed through two tiny holes in his chest. He was released to go home later that afternoon and is doing great. Very little pain and two months recuperation before going back to work. Oh, the miracles of modern medicine!
they did a good job. apparently what that caretaker wants is to be able to see right into your garden. I doubt he will do anything since he's had plenty of opportunity to cut everything on his side of the wall.
I hope Dave has a speedy recovery!
Those tree guys did a good job. However, that caretaker sounds like a pain in the you know what.
Hope Dave's surgery is finished and he is resting comfortably.
I'm glad the trimming went well & I'm glad you're letting go of the need to appease that dude. Oof. I'm sure the surgery went well & Dave is doing fine - & maybe now you can relax!
That tree work has been on your mind for months, so I'm glad it's done. The caretaker sounds as if he hates plants and just wants a neat wall and a complete view into your house. Spending your own money is already above and beyond.
And I expect Dave is home again by now, and I hope doing well.
Your garden looks marvelous and the tree guys did a great job. The stone wall draws the eye and beneath the trees you have a lovely new open space. As for the complaining neighbor, I agree, he's out of line and to be ignored. I hope Dave is home and recovering nicely.
First of all, good wishes to Dave with his surgery. I hope it's a walk in the park. And the garden looks pretty good -- they did a decent job. Of course the other guy is going to get snarky but you have done what you need to do and just keep an eye on him. Probably good your landlord got a heads up.
This could have been a lot worse. So glad the trees are OK. I envision hostas or other shade plants in that area -- or a shaded birdbath. It has potential.
Your garden looks wonderful before and after pruning, there is something a little wild and magical about it. Or you are just a good photographer.
I hope Dave's surgery goes well! I understand displaced anxiety and anxiety can easily turn into anger/frustration. I think it looks great and is a nicely trimmed mix of vegetation. As you noted, some people will never be satisfied.
I'm still not clear on why the caretaker cares or has a vote on what grows on your side of the wall. This whole thing has been really weird. I do hope Dave has a quick and painless recovery. We have zero knowledge of hernias at our house. Talk to me about ear and foot surgeries! I'm fluent. Good wishes for Dave.
I hate hiring any trades man. You never know what you'll end up with and a snarly neighbor makes doesn't help.
I think it looks like just the right amount of stuff got removed. The caretaker sounds like a real charmer! (sarcasm)
I hope Dave did well and is recovering comfortably by now!
I think the end result looks good. Quit worrying about the caretaker. He isn't your problem and I'm not sure why he's making what's on YOUR side of the fence HIS problem.
I hope all went well for Dave and that the three of you are sleeping peacefully in your bed. It's been a stressful 24 hours for ALL of you!
I'm with Allison on the caretaker's position on the trees. I don't get it. Sending wishes for a good outcome for Dave.
I hope Dave's surgery is done by now and wishing him a speedy recovery. Your garden looks a lot brighter but the caretaker (not his property then?) won't be satisfied. As you said, not your circus, not your monkeys.
I think the area looks great now and the caretaker can go home and suck his thumb.
I think your tree surgeons were quite artistic. Maybe the neighbor will calm down with time.
Andrew: I put a chair over a fern by the back wall that I just KNEW those guys would trample! And it worked!
Librarian: Yes, I think they did a great job. They do know what they're doing!
Frances: Most of the easily visible difference is on the bottom, where we can now see the wall, but they also took a lot of material out of the thicket higher up.
Jabblog: Thanks for the good wishes!
YP: The caretaker is obsessed with that brick wall. He's convinced our trees are endangering it, even though they've been there for years and years.
Mitchell: They ARE good tree guys. I was impressed.
Sabine: The caretaker can do more pruning on his side of the wall, if he wishes. But yeah, he has no jurisdiction in our garden!
GZ: These seem awfully large to cut back hard. We don't even do anything with the fruit or flowers.
Colette: I'd like to think he's not going to go to any extremes, but you just never know!
Ed: Yes, it does create an awkward situation. I think this guy would be complaining no matter what, though.
Ms Moon: I didn't know you'd had so many hernia repairs in your family! I know it's a very common surgery. I really wasn't worried about it, nor was Dave. He has a few others that still need repair after this one heals.
Ana: That's amazing! They did Dave's the old-fashioned way because he has pre-existing scar tissue from an earlier operation.
Ellen: I think he's trying to get us to pay for his landscaping, basically.
Sharon: He hasn't been much trouble on any other issue but on this he's making me nuts. Hopefully now that we've done something he'll drop it.
Ellen D: Thank you!
Bug: Well, I just feel like I'll never really appease him, unless, as I said, we strip everything down to the ground.
Boud: It's still kind of on my mind, but honestly, it's NOT my problem. Any further gripes from that guy I'm going to direct to our management company.
Susan: It DOES make the garden seem much larger! I'm amazed how much room there is beneath those trees.
Jeanie: I like the birdbath idea! Or maybe a pond!
Yael: Thank you! We really TRY to keep it wild and not too overly neat.
Margaret: Yes, I am definitely dancing on the border of anxiety and frustration this week!
Allison: Well, he DOESN'T have a vote, but he definitely thinks he does! I want to be a good neighbor and I think that are did need some maintenance, but I'm not going to bring it up to his manicured standards. That's not how I garden.
Red: It really doesn't!
Jennifer: I think he's just annoyed because he can't tell us what to do, and he really, REALLY wants to.
Kelly: THANK YOU! I agree! In fact I've decided that if he comes to us with any more complaints I'm just going to send him to the management company.
Jim: I'm glad you're all on my side on this!
Pixie: Yes, not his property. I don't know why he's so obsessed about our trees.
River: Ha! I'm going to tell him that!
Catalyst: Hopefully. He should be content with the news that the trees have been inspected and deemed to be safe.
I have been catching up on my blog reading as I've been absent for a bit. Your trip to California sounded great. I loved looking at all of the photos. I hope Dave's hernia surgery goes well.
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