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Original poster

So sad - Neighbour cut down large mature tree

59 replies

PurpleSky34 · 01/04/2021 20:06

The neighbours at the back of our garden today cut down a large mature tree. I love trees and this one attracted lots of birds and provided a screen in front of the houses behind our garden. I felt really sad and cried loads. We only moved into this house 3 months ago, I already had buyers remorse for other reasons but really loved the garden. Now I feel like it has been ruined and I just have a view of these really imposing houses (we are near the end of the road so the houses come at 90 degrees at the back, so they feel quite close). We viewed the house in the summer when these houses at the back were not as obvious (hidden by all the green), I am not sure that I would have bought the house if this tree was cut already as I find the view really imposing now. The tree was in their garden, so I know they had the right to do it, but I would have also thought neighbourly politeness means they should have at least come to warn us. Does anyone have advice on what we can plant for screening on our side of the fence, something that they wouldn't have any legal right to ask us to trim or prune down. Ideally it needs to be 3 to 4 metres. I would be happy with something not very dense that just distracts from the view behind rather than fully blocking it. Recommendations for fast growing plants would be welcome, there's lots of cottage garden plants here so something that goes with that style would be nice. Any advice would be welcome. I just feel really heartbroken, I feel like I am in the massive minority by loving trees and hating to see them cut down :(.

OP posts:
ThreeB · 01/04/2021 20:10

Anything that would overhang their garden they would be legally entitled to prune back to the boundary line.
I understand the upset around the trees but you have no idea what damage they were causing to their property. I'm having large ones cut down from my Mums house at the moment because their root structure is in danger of undermining the foundations.

NoSquirrels · 01/04/2021 20:11

Have a look at pleached trees - something like hornbeam is good.

LookingThroughTheTrees · 01/04/2021 20:16

Flowers I totally understand where you’re coming from.

TheBullfinch · 01/04/2021 20:17

Awful.

If you want to be really mean, plant a row of Leylandi a meter from your boundary. They'll be 10 feet tall by Autumn.

If you want to be kind, try Eucalyptus or ball root bamboo. Both grow like weeds.

margaritasbythesea · 01/04/2021 20:18

I have had similar. Moved in fairly recently.The view from my bedroom window was a crazy mass of verdant garden shrubs gone wild with neglect. It wasn't tidy but it was kind of beautiful, with lots of birds and different leaf shapes. They had been renting for ten years and the landlord didn't give a monkeys.

They bought the house about 6 weeks ago and the first thing they did was raze the garden to the ground. It's now plantless bare soil. To be fair they have worked hard on it and have planted a replacement but that will take about six years to mature.

It did give us quite a lot of privacy, but they had no reason to tell me and I have no grounds to complain. My morning cup of tea is decidedly less enjoyable though. I think you just have to take it on the chin.

Bamboo seems to grow a mile a minute but I think it can be invasive.

margaritasbythesea · 01/04/2021 20:20

Do NOT plant any bloody Leylandi. I know Bullfinch was joking but our back hedge is this and it's a blight on everything around it and a bitch to dig out of where we are situated.

NoSquirrels · 01/04/2021 20:22

@TheBullfinch

Awful.

If you want to be really mean, plant a row of Leylandi a meter from your boundary. They'll be 10 feet tall by Autumn.

If you want to be kind, try Eucalyptus or ball root bamboo. Both grow like weeds.

Leylandii are the devil’s evergreen and your regret it forever.

Bamboo needs to be clumping not spreading and planted inside containers if you don’t want to regret it forever.

Eucalyptus is lovely to look at and quick-growing but needs cutting every year in order not to become so big it’s hazardous. It’s not great for small gardens.

Whatever you choose don’t give yourself trees or shrubs that make loads of work for yourself or you’ll resent it!

Oversize · 01/04/2021 20:32

I'm planning a privacy screen for 2 new loft conversions that are happening behind my house.
I'm going to have 2 very tall metal frameworks made. They'll look like trees that span out from their trunks in a fountain shape iyswim. They'll be 2d like a fence rather than 3d like a tree and be concreted in. The fine wire netting between the branches will support ivy and evergreen clematis. So a tree shaped fedge. They won't need pruning because when the climbers reach their limit, they'll just trail down.

There's always something that can be done. Loss of privacy sucks when it happens soFlowers

minipie · 01/04/2021 20:32

I was recently recommended Acacia Dealbata (Mimosa) as a tree that grows quickly but doesn’t get too huge. Also evergreen so will provide year round screening. You could also look at clear stemmed Laurel or Photinia. Or maybe a winter flowering cherry as although it’s not evergreen it gives something to look at and distract the eye all year.

Paramount Plants is a good site. Prices increase hugely for taller/more established plants so would be much much more cost effective to look for something that is 2/2.5m and grows fast rather than 3-4m already.

blowinahoolie · 01/04/2021 20:37

@margaritasbythesea

Do NOT plant any bloody Leylandi. I know Bullfinch was joking but our back hedge is this and it's a blight on everything around it and a bitch to dig out of where we are situated.
Our NDN planted this as we put our decking down when we first moved. Right up against the fence, up to their property. I think the roots can affect the foundations of the property. Not just their property but ours! I hate the trees, wish I could have them chopped down but it's not my property.
Callisto1 · 01/04/2021 20:39

Leylandi are the stuff of nightmares. We have some on the border of our garden and would very much like them to disappear. It was our neighbour who put them there so to keep the peace we will probably have to live with them Sad

OverTheRainbow88 · 01/04/2021 20:42

Our neighbour did this recently, I was so sad had to go out to not see it coming down!

blowinahoolie · 01/04/2021 20:44

We have the boundary fence, but I think our NDN planted them for extra privacy because our decking us raised.

Yep, I have these trees!! They are horrible. Blocking light. Utterly daft that they planted them up against the fence, as there's a fence post going to need replacing soon and no way to do the work as these trees as in the way 🤷

Coroico97 · 01/04/2021 21:08

If you have several lleylandii that have grown together and are blocking light look up the High Hedges act. If there is more than one they are treated as a hedge and they are only allowed to be a couple of metres from memory before you can complain. I know as this happened to us. My dad had been unable to look after a hideous row he planted ages ago and there were complaints. We were happy to cut them down/back as they are horribly imposing.

For something nice that grows fast maybe some silver birch, or hornbeams are a lovely shape. Problem is they are not evergreen so aren’t much use in winter. Beech is good as deciduous but leaves ‘cling’ on so still gives some screening.

Good luck. I really feel your pain. We have some trees at bottom of our garden and I am studying them every day and waiting for them to come into leaf to slightly screen the houses beyond.

Tomnooktoldmeto · 01/04/2021 21:10

We’re just about to plant Liquidambar silver birch photinia x5 and a lilac to our rear as our neighbours have over developed and destroyed our privacy in the pursuit of their dreams

Some tips, bamboo in the eyes of the law is a grass and can never constitute a high hedge

2 or more evergreen trees or hedging plants planted together can constitute a high hedge

Deciduous trees interspersed with ever green like photinia are not generally a high hedge

Ianrankinfan · 01/04/2021 21:49

Unfortunately not all trees are welcome. The house behind us has 3 large silver birch trees at the bottom of their garden . They are about 40 feet high... far too big for the size of the gardens . It means our patio gets a lot of shade ... and I do like the sun. !

N51BU · 01/04/2021 22:48

Bamboo could work but you've got to buy the right bamboo. My dad has some and there's been times in the past where it can literally grow a few feet in what seems like a few days. It's quite shocking

Buy the wrong one and it will takeover your garden and probably the neighbour's too but the right one could be excellent for screening

Original poster
PurpleSky34 · 01/04/2021 23:07

Thank you for the ideas. I definitely would not want leylandii either. I was thinking something more like a less dense and not too widely spreading tree or two, just to break up the view and distract the eye and provide a little bit more privacy. Something like a silver birch would be nice but I read that they grow very tall. I don't want to plant something that means they start complaining about lack of light, assuming that is why they cut the tree in the first place... I don't think it was close enough to their house to cause any damage but probably did shade their garden. I guess whatever I plant I will have to accept that it will take quite a few years to grow sufficiently.

OP posts:
Krazynights34 · 01/04/2021 23:19

Not all silver bitch grow very tall. I bought one to plant in the middle of the garden, after I’d hacked down a fair few tall bushes etc.
The neighbours are going to hate me... I’m going to have the stupid Leylandii cut down and replace them with bamboos in tall planters etc.

Neighneigh · 01/04/2021 23:26

Cutting down a tree at this time of year is a bastard thing to do, I'm not surprised you're upset. The only planning application I've ever responded to was to cut down a massive beech tree near us, I won, tree has been expertly pruned and looks very healthy.

Anyway. How about getting some nice big (massive!) planters and a Japanese maple? Our old neighbour had one and it was beautiful. To make it seem bigger you could try and construct some boxes or steps, put lots of things in pots around there?

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 01/04/2021 23:38

A couple of rowan trees wouldn't grow too tall and would give summer screening. They would be especially pretty if you chose different varieties with different coloured berries. Or photenia red robin, it grows very quickly and you can let it be a tree or prune it hard to keep it as a hedge and the foliage is very pretty.

TaleOfTheContinents · 02/04/2021 10:04

Not nice to lose your privacy but they may have had good reason to do it. We have a lovely large tree that screens us from the house behind us (and vice versa) but we suspect it may be diseased/dying so we need to get a tree expert in to look at it before it topples over and squashes our house!

MagnoliatheMagnificent · 02/04/2021 13:18

I can understand your distress. My neighbours had a lovely monkey puzzle tree, really high and a bit of a local landmark. I went to visit my daughter at Uni one weekend and returned to find they'd chopped it down! Was so upset.

beggingforsleep · 02/04/2021 13:34

We've just planted some magnolia grandiflora at the bottom of our garden for screening. They were expensive and won't really offer the level of screening we want for a good few years but we went through all the options and it seemed the best one for an evergreen.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 02/04/2021 13:36

Unfortunately not all trees are welcome. The house behind us has 3 large silver birch trees at the bottom of their garden . They are about 40 feet high... far too big for the size of the gardens . It means our patio gets a lot of shade ... and I do like the sun. !

You can always move.