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Gardening

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Original poster

DH did this

77 replies

Whyohwhyjustwhy · 02/08/2023 17:04

Leaving aside what on earth he was thinking, which is part of a bigger problem, do you agree that this looks absolutely awful?
Does the tree have any chance of growing back into any reasonable shape from this sloping flat top? My feeling is that it's ruined.

DH did this
OP posts:
FantasticElasticBand · 02/08/2023 17:07

I’m afraid the tree is ruined. It’s a conifer - they are ‘hollow’ - the greenery is only on the branch ends. It will not regenerate like say a beech hedge would.

is it part of a hedge or a standalone tree?

Original poster
Whyohwhyjustwhy · 02/08/2023 17:21

Yes, that's what I thought. It's a standalone tree, and was there when we bought the house 15 years ago.

He did it (as always) without telling me what he was planning. Or even telling me that he'd done it. I was really upset when I saw it and told him it wouldn't grow back, but he doesn't believe me. If I could find a man to tell him the exact same thing, he'd almost certainly believe them 🙄 I'll see if I can find something in one of my books to show him.

I'll just have to cut the poor thing down I think.

OP posts:
LaDeeDa123 · 02/08/2023 17:34

Dig it out and replace it something lovely and wildlife friendly. That’s what I did with all my conifers.

RandomMess · 02/08/2023 17:42

We cut back neighbours conifers to our fence line. They looked like that. Within a few years it was green on our side again!

Original poster
Whyohwhyjustwhy · 02/08/2023 17:43

LaDeeDa123 · 02/08/2023 17:34

Dig it out and replace it something lovely and wildlife friendly. That’s what I did with all my conifers.

That’s definitely the way. Can you recommend a shrub? It would need to be something with not too much spread but reasonable height. There are low walls at the front and side.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 02/08/2023 17:45

Cherry Laurel?

Lunaballoon · 02/08/2023 17:46

Yes, it won’t grow back but if you dig it out completely (massive job), the one next to it might expand into the gap left behind.

Original poster
Whyohwhyjustwhy · 02/08/2023 17:46

RandomMess · 02/08/2023 17:42

We cut back neighbours conifers to our fence line. They looked like that. Within a few years it was green on our side again!

It’s the severely chopped off top that’s the issue, not the side - that’s been gone for years.
From a distance it looks even more ridiculous.

OP posts:
Original poster
Whyohwhyjustwhy · 02/08/2023 17:48

Lunaballoon · 02/08/2023 17:46

Yes, it won’t grow back but if you dig it out completely (massive job), the one next to it might expand into the gap left behind.

There isn’t one next to it, it’s been a single tree since we moved in. There’s a low wall behind and in front, and low shrubs and plants but mostly weeds at the moment to the other sides.

OP posts:
JuneOsborne · 02/08/2023 17:49

Oof. You could try a Pittosporum? They can be shaped nicely, but perhaps not by your dh...

RandomMess · 02/08/2023 17:49

Even the top will sprout again in a few years. The bastards are unkillable.

LaDeeDa123 · 02/08/2023 17:50

@Whyohwhyjustwhy i really love hawthorns. They are attentive, brilliant for wildlife and you can cut them back so they don’t spread too wide. They are native and that’s what we need in our gardens. The conifer will have leached a lot of goodness from your soil so whatever you decide to plant, make sure you put something down to replenish it.

Firstreturn · 02/08/2023 17:50

Some users may be giving advice without seeing the full picture. If you don’t tap the image, then you can’t see the top of the tree.

LaDeeDa123 · 02/08/2023 17:50

Attractive not attentive!

Original poster
Whyohwhyjustwhy · 02/08/2023 17:51

RandomMess · 02/08/2023 17:45

Cherry Laurel?

I’m not a fan of laurel tbh, and there’s already one further along to the right of the pic. It’s just one standalone tree or shrub I need, this isn’t part of a hedge. Thanks for the idea though.

OP posts:
FrenchandSaunders · 02/08/2023 17:51

😳😳 id be fuming OP

DurhamDurham · 02/08/2023 17:53

My husband did this and I was furious and upset. It looked hideous. When we had the house on the market I spray painted it green so that (to the casual observer from the kitchen window) it looked ok Blush

RandomMess · 02/08/2023 17:56

I'll send you a heap of saplings. We live next to a small mature wood, spend my life weeding out saplings.

Also ended up with a hebe tree Blush

Highlyflavouredgravy · 02/08/2023 17:56

Give it time. I think it will grow again.

Original poster
Whyohwhyjustwhy · 02/08/2023 17:57

JuneOsborne · 02/08/2023 17:49

Oof. You could try a Pittosporum? They can be shaped nicely, but perhaps not by your dh...

Yes something like that. Though I’m wondering whether to just put something low growing there. I just can’t stop him “pruning” and “trimming” things, even when they don’t need it, and he has no idea how to prune. You’ve probably guessed that this isn’t the first mutilation.
Even if I plant something like that and say DO NOT TRIM OR PRUNE THIS, EVER he’ll forget, and I’ll come home one day to carnage.

OP posts:
rwalker · 02/08/2023 17:58

Tbf it does look as though it has grown out of control you can’t trim any major growth back
you have to trim little and often to keep manageable shape

Original poster
Whyohwhyjustwhy · 02/08/2023 17:58

Firstreturn · 02/08/2023 17:50

Some users may be giving advice without seeing the full picture. If you don’t tap the image, then you can’t see the top of the tree.

Yes, I should have said that the preview doesn’t show the full decapitated horror.

OP posts:
FrenchandSaunders · 02/08/2023 17:58

I had to ban my DH from the garden after he cut down all my clematis and wisteria thinking they were dead as it was bloody early spring and they hadn’t yet started to bloom again … I was so upset.

Mischance · 02/08/2023 17:59

My OH once "weeded" my raspberry canes - needless to say he had uprooted all the new growth .... grrr!

FrenchandSaunders · 02/08/2023 17:59

Oh and an acer … I’m getting cross again