So sad - Neighbour cut down large mature tree

[PurpleSky34]

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 :(.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

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.

Some people plant trees completely inappropriate in their gardens and don't realise the impact on their neighbours. Just another perspective.

I've got neighbours that hack away endlessly at the lovely mature trees, including in bird season.

It's so sad.

Hi, OP. I sympathise. We had to cut down five massive trees when we moved into our new home, they were literally filling our (small) back garden and the house was so dark. We kept one silver birch, a 40 foot pear tree and started again with the rest of the garden. I felt dreadful about it as I love trees, but two of the silver birch were dead and leaning. One of our neighbours came round and yelled at me, as the trees had afforded them privacy, then they yelled at my mum when she came round. It was absolutely awful. The other neighbours were delighted as they hated the leaves and mess and their house and garden were dark too.

Anyway. I strongly recommend you actually nicely talk to the neighbour- removing the trees might have not been a tree-hating action. I have replaced a hideous enormous badly lopped conifer, with a series of lovely native trees. Yes, taking time to grow, but much better for local wildlife.

Do not plant leylandii, you will regret it as the cost and hassle of keeping them in check rapidly becomes prohibitive. And definitely don’t plant bamboo, it will run away and become a massive invasive problem - the neighbours will detest you and complain. Rightly so. Plus it is not cottagey at all.

I would buy hawthorn, rowan, birch, if you want trees. Interplant with some slower growers, like a flowering cherry, a crab apple and a holly. When the other trees get too big, the other trees can take over.

Portuguese Laurel could also be a quick win although it is quite boring, however it is easy to prune, grows fast, is evergreen and is more shrubby than tree so might be ideal. Doesn’t mind shade, either.

If you don’t fancy trees, then I’d plant ceanothus, lilac, buddleia, sambuca nigra (grows fast, doesn’t have to be chopped down every year just prune it and tie it in to keep a dense shape). I’d let all these grow into tree-sized shrubs. You might not get the height you want, so then I’d interplant several red robins - if the latter are about 6 feet tall when you buy them, it is an investment that will pay handsomely as you can let them grow tree-form and within 5 years they will be about 15 foot.

Mainly do not despair! This is an opportunity to do something lovely with the end of your garden.

Fruit trees are nice if you just want to break the view. Blossom in the spring and fruit in the autumn.

Some people are also inappropriate, at least they can move. Trees can't.

I sympathise. We had to cut down five massive trees when we moved into our new home, they were literally filling our (small) back garden and the house was so dark

You didn't have to, you chose to, at least the trees that were not 'leaning'. You could have chosen to buy a different house if you didn't like the trees in the garden, but you chose to get your ax out, figuratively speaking.

Neighbours of my sister had trees which were never maintained...a tree surgeon is expensive though. The apple tree which was obviously dead was left for years ... eventually fell over and damaged my sister’s shrubs. ...luckily that was all . Hope you find suitable trees OP.

Just to clarify - I was kidding about the Leylandi.

As I said, Eucalyptus or Laurel are far better.

Someone mentioned photenia red robin which I'll admit is lovely but very prone to fungal disease, especially honey fungus which is running rampant right now, so try to avoid plants which are susceptible such as Privet and Box.

Lots of great advice here from everyone.....well nearly everyone.

I'm totally with you OP. So many neighbours here are cutting down mature trees which are nowhere near the houses, which provide homes for all sorts of wildlife, much needed screening and interest to the gardens. Then they replace them with 6ft wood fences or swathes of cherry laurel or photinia red robin. I wonder why they bought a house in an area which has tree wardens and area of special residential character status (or something like that!) if all they want to do is sanitise their gardens so they look like new builds.

Photinia and laurel aren't great for wildlife and biodiversity. Better to go for deciduous and native plants where possible. Generally slower growing though.

Trees to plant :
Ornamental Crab apple
Bird Cherry
Hornbeam
Silver Birch
Rowan
Snakebark maple
Dawn redwood
basically anything deciduous and fruiting that will get to medium size
for a bit bigger
Liriodendron (tulip tree)
Liquidambar
One of the ornamental fraxinus
Acacia dealbata

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

Some people are also inappropriate, at least they can move. Trees can't.

Trees can be hacked to oblivion until they are just a stump. Seriously wish I could do that with NDN Leylandii😡

Good list @ListeningQuietly

blowinahoolie I sympathise. Leylandii are awful.

It wasn't a willow tree was it? My dad had his cut back yesterday. He was nervous it was impeding on his next door neighbour and blocking light for everyone else so cut it all back and now it looks like a massive catapult. He thinks it'll grow back in no time but is really sad it doesn't look beautiful anymore.

If you want something mature already have a look at companies like Hedges Direct who supply mature hedging and trees. That way you won't have to wait as long.

Be aware though the bigger pots mean a much heavier plant and you need some strong people to get them into place. I have bought 4ft photinias and cherry laurels from a local nursery a few years ago. They are beautiful but weigh a lot.

No one should be cutting down trees when birds are nesting. Only essential cutting should be done.

@MiddlesexGirl

I so agree. Our neighbour keeps doing this but the more annoying thing is the trees aren’t even on her land they are on a public footpath!!!

[quote OverTheRainbow88]@MiddlesexGirl

I so agree. Our neighbour keeps doing this but the more annoying thing is the trees aren’t even on her land they are on a public footpath!!![/quote]
That is criminal Damage.
Report.

[quote OverTheRainbow88]@MiddlesexGirl

I so agree. Our neighbour keeps doing this but the more annoying thing is the trees aren’t even on her land they are on a public footpath!!![/quote]
They might be protected, contact your Council's tree warden.

I sympathise OP.
I work with hedgehog rescues and these people ‘tidying’ and sanitising their gardens are ruining hedgehog’s habitat with the result that many are completely starving. There are no insects and beetles (not slugs - they are a last resort and give them lungworm) left 😱 This is why it’s so important that we feed them with cat biscuits and provide water.

@ListeningQuietly and @wandawombat

Thank you, I will do. Last week I went to speak to the company doing it and told them it was public land- they couldn’t have cared less and cut down 4 trees, 2 right to the stump. I will report to council.

Over
I know of a case where the householder was forced to pay the "replacement cost" of a 50 year old field maple.
No change out of £10,000
plus costs
The Council planted a community orchard with the money

Grow Laurel hedging. Evergreen, fast fast growing and you can cut it to the height you want. It grows into big tree size if you let it.

We had a huge tree cut down last summer, we back onto a field so wouldn't have upset any of the neighbours but we had to do it as the base was being hollowed out by honey fungus and the tree was slowly dying. I really didn't want to take it down (and it cost £650!) but we had a tree expert who said it needed to be done, the way the lean was it would have come down onto my neighbours dog kennels one day. Perhaps your neighbours were in a similar position?