A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 My ND farm

Picture of my 'project'. The big tall trees/bushes, whatever they are - there's 2 in the front of the house and 1 by the front door along the sidewalk - I'm always wondering if I should cut them down - they are so tall. What do you think? Have to remove 2 of the Christmas trees in the front yard as they are old and dying.

It's kind of hard to see what kind of trees/bushes those are. I'll send another closer picture as soon as I get them developed. I just put up a pallet compost 'bin' in the back to the right of the white fertilizer bin and I'd like to have a cute shed back there next year.

I will see if I can crop the picture and make it closer okay?

This is probably too small to see the 'trees' I'm wondering if should cut them down?

I don't know if you should cut them down or not, but your home looks really nice....I like all the trees around it.... Very Private.

We live about 2 miles out of town - which is a VERY SMALL TOWN, and our road goes to the east (right) about 1/2 mile and then turns into a field road, so it's kind of a dead end - so we get VERY little traffic. Nice!

Oh my gosh, you have your own little heaven on earth! What a beautiful setting! It's like your own private retreat!

ND, I think you're talking to the wrong person about cutting down the trees! I love trees and always hate to think of cutting them down unless there's a really good reason for it!

ND, your farm is just gorgeous. That first picture says it all!

I'm with you, Patti...we must be tree Huggers. lol! Maybe a little selective pruning but I hate to see mature trees taken down.

Almost two years ago, my fully shaded backyard became total three-quarters sun due to the wisdom of our local power company. They came in and cut down (1) a 40yr old Silver Maple (2) a 50+yr old Sycamore and (3) a huge old Fruitless Mulberry because they were infringing on the "right-of-way." I was given no option of cutting back, pruning, etc. I cried for weeks every time I stepped out the backdoor. It has taken a terrible toll on plants in most of the existing flowerbeds and the difference it has made in trying to keep the house cool during these horrific heat waves is unbelievable. Thankfully, the neighbor on the west side of my house has a jumbo Sycamore that provides very late afternoon shade or I would have lost everything in that part of the yard.

Oh, and I won't even go into the butcher job they did to my clump of 5-trunk River Birch in the front yard. I get totally enraged about that. Suffice it to say, I now have a 3 1\2 trunk clump.

What a gorgeous home ND!

Joanne

I find that there plenty of plants that like dappled shade so having trees is great for the garden. Is there a reason you want to take them down? For me the shade they provide is a blessing just like was said in an earlier post. Also by shading the plants don't usually require as much water and you don't get as much dust. And of course there is the improvement in air quality when you are in a tree covered environment. I must be a tree hugger too. lol.

No-No-No - I don't mean cut them down, I mean cut the tops of them down so they aren't so tall.

We had a beautiful weeping willow in the front yard but it died - had a new well dug in and they cut into the roots and last year we finally gave up on thinking it was going to survive and had to take it down. Now my front yard needs trees...not sure what to plant though.

What a great little spot you have there...it looks great from what i can see

Rosie, maybe we can start a "tree Huggers Club". It sounds like Tammy would join too!

Well, it's probably good wisdom on the part of the power company, now you have to use more of their power to cool your home!

Rosie, I know what kind of butcher job the power company can do on trees. They cut a lot of large branches off my mulberry tree, in the spring, about 8 years ago and the sap was running down and covering the trunk from all the wounds! It looked like it was bleeding to death and I cried every time I went into the back yard! Praise God!!! I didn't give up on it and neither did HE!

Beautiful,ND!!!
I say keep the trees.all those trees are what make your place so awesome... just a thought.

I must be a tree hugger too!! My neighbour cut down hundreds of trees around me when he took out his hedge rows and it totally changed my yard. I've been planting trees all over the yard ever since!!
ND farm girl- gorgeous place you've got there...save the trees!!!

Again - no, no, no - I'm not going to cut DOWN any trees, in fact - I'm looking at what trees I can put in the front yard since we lost our weeping willow tree. It's those two in the front and 1 by the door - I don't even know if they are 'trees' or 'tall bushes', but I think they can be trimmed down. I was just wondering if I can trim them down on the tops.

Thanks you! I love living in the country and after living here for 9 years, I am finally doing some outside work in the yard and now I'm addicted to this gardening and am always looking for something to plant, something to dig up so I can plant something else, etc.

Are they italian cypress? It looks like the trees are not interfering with the roof, etc...as they look like they are set away from the house a bit. Italian cypress are commonly lopped off as you describe. Topping any true "tree" though is very very bad for the tree. It doesn't look like this is the case but you should probably ID the tree/shrub before continuing