“The garden is growth and change and that means loss as well as constant new treasures to make up for a few disasters.” -May Sarton
Welcome! Today is the day! After going back and forth, and getting a few words of advice, we are finally getting the birch trees removed. It’s a bittersweet day since I’m sad to be losing the beautiful trees but happy to feel more safe about them falling over! Gardens change, its a hard thing sometimes, but it’s what makes gardening so interesting! 🌳 Enjoy!
American Arbor: https://www.treemaintenancedavis.com
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36 Comments
It’s probably better that you weren’t there. Did you just cringe watching them trample your garden bed?
That Poor Tree, suffering through to the very end🤕😭. Maybe those were tears not shed and finally bursting forth, happy to finally go to it's resting place(s).🤔 I hope it's in peace now, parted out as firewood (whatever pieces could be) and decorative bark for the Joy of humans. 😎❤️🩹😻
Good morning Janey, I can totally relate to your sadness in removing your birch trees. Few years back we had two birch trees that were diseased with burrowing Beatles. We had to have them removed before they spread to our other birch trees. They are beautiful when healthy and I agree add so much contrast in color in any garden.
May I suggest planting a few Espalier apple or pear trees on the outside of your fence. Then plant some annuals and perennials underneath the trees. Pretty spring blossoms from the trees would be beautiful against your dark fence.
Happy Gardening! 🪴 👩🏼🌾
Love your videos. It is definitely bittersweet when a tree comes down. About every 3-5 years, I have to have my live oak pruned and I love watching it. I would just die if the horrible storms we have in Texas ever ruined it. It's about 200 years old and so huge, like 80' high x close to 100' wide. You would love it! One thing I learned only a year ago is the significance of the root flare of a tree. You know how some people bury them and build garden stones or whatever around them. Also, too much mulch or just dirt alone can suffocate the roots. Maybe the rocks around the birch were cutting off some of it's oxygen as well as the improper pruning it had. Your guy did mention that they could have had some impact of its demise. That water gushing out was so nuts! Very interesting, though. Keep up the good work, Janey. I'm originally a southern CA girl and just love watching you, my only YouTube channel from my home state.
I had a birch removed from my front yard several years ago. Just like yours it had issues and created a ton of mess in my flower beds with debris so even though it was a pretty tree it had to go. The positive thing for me, and I am sure you will see it too, is that birch trees are CRAZY Water hogs so as soon as it was gone my other plants immediately flourished. Thanks for sharing this video and here’s hoping the rest of your cottage garden will flourish and be absolutely amazing this year! Happy Gardening.
We have a huge old tree that has been infested with a beetle and is slowly dying. Every coupe of years we have some branches removed (it’s expensive!). As I looked out the window during a storm last year I actually saw a large branch crack & fall off the tree in the high winds! Made me worry what if that had fallen on one of us. We’ll be bringing the arborist back this spring.
The rocks would tear up the chains on the chainsaws.
This was great! I actually had planted a river birch right by my deck (thinking it would be great for shade) but since seeing my neighbor across the street dealing w/ a row of these trees, I yanked it out. It was about 12 feet tall so I was able to do it myself. They can be lovely trees in the right conditions but can be messy and we get a lot of wind storms where we live. I have not regretted the decision to take it out.
I am glad the one next to the house was taken out. I would probably waited on the other one. 😀 only because it still looked ok.
Is your arborist single? 😂
Hi Janal! Out of the subject but can you do a video on the blue water tube behind you on this video? I want a few and want to know more. Thanks!
Hi Janey you’re pronouncing Great Dexter correctly. It’s a beautiful house and garden here in the UK. I think you should definitely do the same border at yours. Our neighbours have a huge birch tree and it looks half dead to me and I’m scared that when it’s high winds and bad weather it will come crashing down on our property. I could do with your arborists coming over here and doing a number on it🤣🤣
Love birch trees. Unfortunately those were diseased and dangerous. More tree pruning awareness would benefit us all (Master Gardeners). Specially when young for strong growth structure and a certified arborist later on.
Oh the possibilities for that side area and the new garden area, how exciting!
Always sad to see a tree cut down but all nature has a life span. I was shocked to see him climb the dead tree. Our tree man works from a bucket truck.
JANEY‼️‼️‼️‼️
Check out the noname garden ‼️‼️‼️‼️
If I’m correct they based it on the dixter garden. It. Is. Sooooooo. Impressive.
it's amazing how precision these guys are when they know what they're doing. I had two 40 year old fruitless mulberries removed from my back yard and it was so fast & efficient how the one guy climbed up the tree and would go limb by limb til the whole thing was just a trunk – fascinating to watch as well!
Your side yard looks so much better without the tree. It was in the way.
Thanks for sharing this process with us. We have two young native oaks in our tiny front yard that are just too uncomfortably close to our house and I’ve been wanting to get a legit arborist out here to assess. This was the push I needed!
Check out Soleil's YouTube channel, My Suburban Oasis. She gardens in mid Michigan, zone 5b.
She has a very long border in front of a fence where she has a cottage garden filled with all kinds of small trees shrubs, perennials, and annuals. Obviously, her plant choices might be different from yours because of the difference in climate. Her yard is beautiful. She's also a master gardener, I think. She's very knowledgeable, and her narrow border might be an inspiration for you. Happy planning.
I would also suggest contacting the City to see if they have any recommendations for trees. As you will learn in your training that sidewalks and streets are a totally different and harsh ecosystem for tree survival. You and the girls can take a ride around your city and see what trees are growing well. Best of luck and yes you did pronounce Great Dixter correctly, that garden is on my bucket list.
The worst thing you can do is top a tree!Crepe Myrtles get done that way all the time. I’m so glad you haven’t done yours like that.
🥺 so sad but also very good for safety reasons. We had ours fall during a bad storm years ago, my husband even had a corneal ulcer from trying to clean up debris 😳 but It opened us a new space to design and I know you will make yours absolutely gorgeous!!
I need the name of that “bad tree cutter guy”, this may sound insensitive to our environment but I have a huge Oak tree in front yard I’ve been trying to “help” come to its demise. Fortunately (unfortunately) the people we use aren’t arborist but very knowledgeable trim every 3 years or so. Along with the big $$$$ it cost, the tree sends up shooters from the roots all over my lawn bc it’s a male (or female) I forget and 2 weeks ago had to spend more big $$$ bc the roots crushed the septic pipes!
A pretty plant that is more vertical is the Diamond Spire Gardenia by Southern Living Plants. This is a zone 7a-10b plant. it is evergreen and has doe great in my zone 7b. Check it out for that narrow side bed.
That fence line would be a great spot for hydrangeas with the morning sun.
My parents had a beautiful weeping birch in their front yard. We had a drought one year. Being shallow rooting, as they are, it ended up dying. So sad!
We’re you able to save any logs for next Yule?
Repeating your ivy espalier would look lovely on the fence since it's a narrow planting bed. And very cottagey!
Hi Janey, I had a ISA certified arborist out for the first time to check my valley oak(Quercus lobata). He said it wasn't getting enough water because the water table had dropped so much , the waste from the feral cats was dangerous and the tree guys I had used had damaged it by using spikes to get up to prune the tree, but the tree just needed a bit of care. I notice you have a valley oak near your cottage garden. Is it yours or a neighbors? Even if it is not your tree it does add some vertical interest in the background. I love your garden and am looking forward to seeing your future plans.
Janey, you're a smart intelligent woman trust your instincts.
Janey, you're a smart intelligent woman trust your instincts.
Janey, you're a smart intelligent woman trust your instincts.
Janey, you're a smart intelligent woman trust your instincts.
Janey, you're a smart intelligent woman trust your instincts.
Janey, you're a smart intelligent woman trust your instincts.