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 :(.

We have a stunning Japanese apricot in our garden which I suspect only has a few years left in it. I think I'll cry lots when it has to go. We'll probably replace it with something else that birds and bees love but not another prunus of any sort.

We had another in the front that appeared to be a graft gone wrong - 2 lots of blossom, different times, different colours and then it shed bitter fruit all over the pavement, in late summer - didn't like the thought of someone picking what looked like a tasty plum and ending up with the tummy ache that ume gives you when not prepared properly. We did end up removing that and we did replace it with a photinia, to hide our neighbour's bins. Didn't have a huge choice as that spot is in deep shade for part of the year and a lot of the options that had the right habit and shade tolerance had drawbacks like being very disease prone or toxic or irritant foliage or fruit.

I think that’s rather sad too. All those years it has been there, slowly growing. Such a shame.

Not fast growing, but have you thought about a Lilac tree. Comes into leaf about now...... or the next few weeks. Lovely dense foliage. Lasts until quite late in autumn and in about 3 weeks will have beautiful flowers all over it.

Some trees should be over 50ft from a house. Trees can be diseased and have a number of issues which mean they should be removed. Safety is another issue.

The cherry Amanogawa is an upright flowering cherry that you can plant quite close together. Keep the tops pruned back but they are great as a spring and summer screen. Pleachex trees are great but they take more effort.

Bamboo, leylandii and laurel are thugs. Avoid! Birds don’t like them either.

Have a look at the woodland trust website. There's lots of useful advice on tree types, eventual height and so on.

We inherited "bamboo nigra" in a previous house. Gorgeous black stems and lush green leaves. Dug it all out around November time as it was in an inconvenient location and hadn't been contained in any way. Had to leave an embedded root in the house foundations about 4 ft down. It reappeared 5 ft away in the first week of May and grew approx 10 inches (not kidding) a day for about 2 months. By end of June we had a large clump of 7/8 stalks 7 ft high, and the new terrace stone (York stone so heavy stuff) had all been pushed up.

Luckily, we got rid of our bamboo, which was far too close to the house, in one go. We have an annual battle to keep the alstromeria constrained to one area, though. It's impressive in flower but looks like weeds for 3 months either side. The bank voles enjoy climbing it, mind!

It does depend on the bamboo

I have Philostachys Nigra
which has been a well behaved clump for 20 years
and goldfinches nest in the top

Leylandii can be good if trimmed well once or twice a year. Make a very good screen at the side of garden, been there for years.

@Frankley

Leylandii can be good if trimmed well once or twice a year. Make a very good screen at the side of garden, been there for years.

BUT if you miss a year (as happened near me when the house was sold) you cannot go back to the old size because Leylandii do not regrow from old wood.

Yew, Holly, Hawthorn, Blackthorn make an amazing tree hedge, dense, bird friendly
and ALL can be pollarded if needs be

listeningquietly. Yes ... I noticed a nearby leylandii hedge which had been reduced in height quite drastically last Spring and the cut area has remained brown and unattractive .