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.

I'm also so so sorry OP. I'd definitely be in tears too, you are absolutely not being unreasonable 💐

That is so sad OP. I would be in tears too.

Pop to the garden centre and buy some leylandii and within five years you will have a good barrier again (and in 15 years you will be paying someone to cut them down)

That’s so awful Op. I’d be so so so sad about this. Can you not move ?

Now is a great time to hang out lots of bird feeders, the birds will flock to them and you can enjoy seeing them instantly, you don’t need a tree just hang off a washing line or anything! Silver birches look fantastic-create your own amazingly diverse garden-bee friendly, definitely have a pond if you can as that will massively increase diversity of wildlife in yr garden. Catmint is a great plant that has a long flower season. Have a look at Nic Howard garden design for some creative inspiration. Enjoy making your own garden look fantastic!

This is one of the saddest things I’ve read on MN. I would be devastated too OP.
Humans were the worst thing to ever happen to this planet. Their greed is just abhorrent.

All that poor wildlife.

That's absolutely shocking. I'm not in the UK but in Ireland where laws are similar and it's illegal to fell a tree with nests and active wildlife. Trees can't even be trimmed between march and September. The poor birds will have just built their little homes and now they're gone. Is there a wildlife place that you can contact or the council to see why they removed trees with active wildlife. It's recommended not compulsory to plant another tree if you remove one and I think I'd be contacting them about replacing some of those trees, I'd actually ask for a 15+ year tree to be put into your garden.

@ThePure You have such a pretty garden.

OP, not replacement trees, but here's what I grew with one 99p packet of wildflower seeds from the supermarket. I just dug up a bit of lawn, dug the soil over, scattered these seeds in spring and by summer I had this. You can turn this around love.

I would be devastated.

Do you have the capacity to take on gardening? If you loved the trees and the wildlife you cna bring it into your own garden again.

I don't feel like I know enough but adding big fast growing trees, a pond, some bird feeders could help? But I would feel absolute grief going out there too so I understand if you don't feel up to taking that on.

That must feel very hard OP, but might be an ultimate long term benefit. Even as someone who loves trees, not all trees are good trees.

The conifers they have removed were essentially fast growing weeds that were choking out native trees over time.

They have retained the deciduous trees - difficult to tell from the photos what they are, but there will be a reason they have retained them and it implies they were not just completely clearing the site.

With the conifers gone there is now MUCH more chance of you being able to plant your own native trees that will now thrive, very quickly.

Depending on your budget you could go to your local garden centre or, as others have suggested (and would be my recommendation) Woodland trust have free or cheep packs of saplings. If you get them in the ground in the next 2-3 months they will quickly establish and you’ll be amazed how much they come in in the next year.

There are no birds nests now. Plus if you have only been there a year there was definitely pp in the offing for this site. Theres No Way this has got pp in a year and it wasn’t in the local plan! What’s a water company got to do with it? They probably got the pp. Take it as an opportunity to plant your own trees. You do have space but there’s not a chance this development wasn’t known about and you could have tried to have got TPOs for the trees.

Also they have leaves on, so when was before photo taken?

god i'd be devastated. Sorry OP

humans are disgusting.

I have worked for farms that have had to cut down trees, and neighbours do get very upset, you aren't alone in mourning treesby any means x

I will say, as someone currently training to be a gardener, your garden is very bare, and maybe some variety would lift your spirits a bit?

So sad, I'd be in tears too. How about turning your garden into a wildlife haven? Lots of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, bird feeders, etc? It could be a really lovely project for you to learn about and focus on, which might also help with your general sadness at the moment. I hope you can find some happiness moving forward x

I'm so sorry you're so unhappy there, OP. No advice but I know how you feel about the trees - I cannot stand how quickly and easily we just destroy trees and natural habitats, like they don't even matter. It's 'just a tree', it's in our way so let's cut it down. Then people complain that wildlife encroaches on human spaces, well where do we expect them to go?
Perhaps you can plant something really lovely in your garden, I know it won't replace the trees but it might make you feel a bit better about the outside space.

Some really lovely responses on here which have restored my faith in human nature this evening.

I would be the same OP. There are several very tall trees behind where we live and it will only be a matter of time before the space is wanted for yet another housing estate despite the fact that we have several new housing estates locally (which no-one can afford to live on because the starting price for even a 2 bedroom property is out of reach for most).

I would be gutted but other posters have given some good advice as to how you can bring wildlife into your garden. Not the same as your trees, I know, but flowers and birds can really lift our spirits.

I’m so sorry to read this.

Heartbreaking. Same is happening where I live, so called Green Belt in three places here are set for development. There is a pond and habitat round the corner earmarked for 6 houses. We have the fastest disappearing rate of plants, birds and animals in Europe.

Very sad about the trees, seems odd, has permission been granted or have the trees been felled for other reasons?

But i think you ve a bigger issue and thats your MH and why you re so unhappy there.

Have you considered any form of counselling etc the next few months will happen, you can live as you have been or at least attempt to try and improve matters.

The absolute bastards.

That is such a sad thing to happen and I understand why you are upset. Rather than just heading to the nearest garden centre find one which specialises in trees and has people that know what they are doing. Go for native and deciduous as then you get the joy of watching the tree through different seasons. Silver birch, rowan and apple trees are good. Maybe think of getting a gardener (one that really believes in plants not just hard landscaping) to plant them for you. They really are an investment so worth doing properly.

So sorry to hear this OP, it's heartbreaking. The lesson to be learnt here for others is to apply for Tree Preservation Orders to be placed on any trees you value.
Get yourself to a local tree specialist and ask for their advice as to what to plant in your own garden

Who is stating you're unreasonable? They're trees! We wouldn't be here without them, nor would any living creature.
It doesn't really help, but if you can afford it, join both The Woodland Trust.......they do wonderful work....and Population Matters.

Oh dear, id feel sad too. I agree with the others though, get out there and plant a garden. We decided to plant lots of fruit trees, it's only been a few years and they have grown a lot and our children have lots to eat in the garden. We also grow lots of flowers, just because they make us happy.

I moved onto a fairly new estate and one of the things I liked about the house was that there were four mature trees in front of the property. So glad the developers worked around them and left them be. It sounds insane that the trees adjoining your property were felled and I’m sorry this has happened, but as others have said, you could plant some your side of the boundary. Bare root trees are fairly inexpensive and can be planted in the Spring.