To have spent most of the day in tears over trees

[NoMoreTrees]

We moved into this house just shy of a year ago and I regretted it almost instantly. I absolutely hate it here, it has pretty much ruined my life and for the last few months my mental health has been in tatters and I’ve had some very, very dark days.

One thing I did like about the house though was that at the end of the garden, on the other side of the fence were some beautiful tall trees. Dozens of trees with hundreds of birds that you can hear singing all year round, an owl, squirrels and other wildlife. The trees ran the entire length of our row of houses and a bit further.

On the other side of the trees is a small field, and while we were having surveys etc done they brought up a planning application for a small development of 9 houses in that field, which had been rejected by the water company.

Well I’m sure you know where this is going… obviously the water company were offered more money changed their minds because before the sun was even up this morning a bunch of men in hi viz and hard hats rocked up with a chainsaw, a bulldozer and a woodchipper and one by one started tearing all the trees down. By the time they had downed tools and fucked off there was only one tree left standing at the end of our garden and one or two surviving further down… for now at least.

I just can’t stop crying. I can’t even bring myself to look out of the windows at the back of the house. All those beautiful trees, all those birds, all that wildlife, gone. It was one of the very, very few things that made living here tolerable, and now instead of trees and birdsong, there is going to be a building site. Just when I thought I couldn’t fucking hate it here more.

Actually I have some massive trees at the back of my house. They are not conifers though. There's a giant Ash tree that I love. If it were a leyland conifer I wouldn't be bothered about it's loss tbh.

That would upset me too. What a crappy day.

Or some big bushes - they’re cheaper. And then one or two smaller prettier tries that have more variation down the side of the garden.

Im looking for a solution but appreciate it’s just crap.

As I’ve said- more than once now- they haven’t only cut down conifers and I’m not only sad about the conifers

So sorry, OP. I would be so upset too. However, as other PPs have said, it looks like you have a good sized garden and you could get cracking soon with making it wildlife friendly, which might even help you like your house more.

Buy some bare root trees/hedging - winter is the best time to plant them and they are really good value. I would go for:

rowan - wild and/or ornamental. They grow fast and provide berries which the birds will love (and you can also make rowan jelly with them).
hawthorn - great for wildlife, with lovely flowers then berries
guelder rose - lovely red berries in the autumn
even privet hedging will grow quite fast and be a bird sanctuary
crab apple and/or domestic apples - birds absolutely love these
buddleia- grows quickly and loved by butterflies
a pond - great for all kinds of wildlife

Also plant flower borders with mix of grasses and plants good for birds and pollinators. You can grow these from seed, and if you include annuals, you will have flowers, bees, hoverflies, butterflies and more next summer. And insects attract birds.

Leave a small bit of the garden wild (with nettles etc).

Perhaps make a log pile/dead hedge.

Also well worth putting up some bird boxes and put food/water out for the birds, if you don't do this already. The bird boxes can go on your house if necessary, and you can choose ones suitable for the sorts of birds you see locally.

Big unmumsnetty hugs. I wept when my neighbour cut down one healthy tree which I loved looking at, and which was beloved by our local blue tits. But I hope you will rise to the challenge and make your garden wildlife-friendly. It is a great thing to do and really enjoyable.

Plant your own garden with trees and flowers, it will make you feel so much better!

You can put some trellis panels on the inside of your fence and grow things like passion flower, honeysuckle and jasmine that will smell amazing when they flower and attract bees. Hydrangeas or rhododendrons are good low maintenance shrubs that flower every year. Lavender is another. Even a few cheap bedding plants from the supermarket will brighten it up. You can dig flower beds around the edges of the lawn and chuck a few bags of compost over and be good to go.

Would an elderflower tree work? It’s a north east facing garden… I’ve always loved elderflower trees. My old neighbours had a beautiful Japanese maple which I thought was gorgeous, and another neighbour had an allotment with a Red Devil apple tree that she got the most wonderful apples from. But I do want trees that will encourage the wildlife to come back… butterflies would be lovely too. My lovely MIL is quite green fingered so might consult her tomorrow

Looking at that, there was no need to cut down the trees at all - looks like they'd have just been lining the back fences of the new houses. Why did they do it.
There's a slight chance they may replant - new housing estates do usually end up nicely landscaped.
Or you can drop a load of cherry/apple pips over the back fence 😉

I'm so sorry, OP. I hate what the ever burgeoning population is doing to our countryside. But this is very close to home for you.

Elder trees are great. I have some in my garden and they have lovely flowers followed by berries. I leave lots of the berries for the birds but also make elderberry cordial to ward off coughs and colds in the winter (easy to make and delicious!). You can also make cordial etc with the flowers.

Native elders have white flowers but you might also like to get one or two cultivated varieties - there is one called Sambucus Nigra Black Lace which has purple/black leaves and is lovely.

Elder trees also grow pretty quickly!

@LovesLabradors The developers will have submitted a landscaping plan. There will almost certainly be replacement trees planted. The op is very upset but new trees can be welcome additions to a locality. She should look at the pp and all the documents submitted.

I wouldn't be happy at all about that light but I guess if the trees have only just come down today they probably haven't realised they're making your baby's room brighter than the sun?
As @Redbushteaforme says, elder are really fast growing. Maybe also consider crab apple or buddleia - buddleia are fantastic for bees, butterflies, and hummingbird moths.

Our Ash trees are dying from Ash Dieback.

They are not great in the autumn if you like to dry your washing outside!

id feel the same op its so sad. I felt the same a couple of years ago when new neighbours moved in at the end of our street and decided to chop a couple of beautiful trees down in a previously very well maintained garden. one of the trees was the most beautiful tree i had ever seen when it was in bloom around about may time. it had beautiful lilac coloured hanging plums that looked like wisteria. As soon as they moved in they just cut them down without any thought to put a trampoline in their place. Their garden is now an absolute tip with piles of rubbish and an old sofa dumped in it. the previous tenants would be heartbroken if they saw it now. it makes me angry ever time I walk past it.
No idea why people would rather look at grey concrete these days than beautiful greenery. theres even a stupid obsession to paint everything grey, including garden fences and walls in may area. I just dont get it at all.
Laburnum trees are particularly beautiful with their yellow flowers if you a looking for a tree op. should imagine they take many years to grow though.

Get yourself out to the garden centre and buy some more lovely (and fast growing) trees. Plant them at the bottom of your garden.

I hope everyone that has lamented trees near them that have been cut down have planted trees in their own gardens

Was it a Paulownia? I have tried for ages to grow one but they don't like our soil. Wouldn't suggest Laburnum with small children, the fruit is poisonous (OP's pics have play equipment in garden).

I've absolutely no idea but looking on google images it could have been because it did look very similar. It was beautiful and had been there for many years. previous tenants had a beautiful garden so its so sad to see it now in its current state.
I had no idea Laburnums could be poisonous I remember my neighbours having one when I was a child and I used to make bouquets with the flowers🫣

Why?

Because the birds love the berries and you get purple bird poop splattered over everything 😂

Oh no. Poor thing.

I really got a chill when I heard Rachel Reeves mocking environmentalists for trying to 'protect bats and newts' and talking about overriding objections so the govt can build thousands of homes. I know in the grand scheme of things the UK has colossal challenges, but these horrible dismissive attitudes to wildlife are frightening.

Grey squirrels are unbelievably common! Red ones are not. Who honestly cares about a squirrel? As for trees, considers are far less productive for wildlife. Birds don’t nest in them and they are green high hedges that dry everything out under them. Far better to have native deciduous trees suitable for gardens. Don’t plant huge field trees.

@Uhghg yes, they grow really well! They need water in summer, because they don’t like heat. But all of mine have needed to be trimmed to stop them getting huge! I plant them as soon as I can after Christmas (delayed this year as the ground is too hard to dig at the moment).

Sorry as per I am late to the thread.

I'd be absolutely fucking fuming and in tears also. I get very stressed seeing trees getting chainsawed down, because (and I'm going to sound nuts) but I believe they feel. There will also be all the wild life that lived in them stressed and terrified! It's winter and they have taken their homes! FFS why can't humans just stop!

Trees take years to grow! This happened to me in October, so it really IS a subject close to my heart. I had a 30 year old ever green conifer in my front garden and it was amazing, asked the housing to give it a small trim like they did last year and they sent out 2 neanderthalic creatures who were in the building trade (not the same tree surgeons who took care and respect for the tree) and these fuckers tore it to absolute shreds and I went MENTAL!

I don't think you are being unreasonable at all, the plusses that were keeping you there have been shat on and I'd not want to live next to a building site! Which is ashame because it actually looked quite lovely!

Hugs to you.