Let's not forget the hedges

The tree removal is certainly a big change in our yard, but it certainly isn't the first. When we first moved in, back in 2003, two other trees needed to be removed. One was the twin of the tilleul (linden). They stood on either side of the path that connects the house to the back gate. It was sickly (someone told us it had once been struck by lightning) and needed to come down. The other was a Christmas tree planted by the former owners when their granddaughter was a child. It was very tall and not at all well. It had to go.

The freshly trimmed back hedge seen from inside the yard. The logs are what's left of the small apple tree. These hedges used to be twice as high as they are now.

We hired some guy (and his crew) who was canvassing the neighborhood looking for jobs. They cut down the trees and trimmed the hedges. Their cleanup left a lot to be desired. They took away the small tree branches, but left the trunks strewn about the yard. I don't remember why; we didn't have the wood stove back then. They did the hedges for two years before I decided to get my own hedge trimmer and do it myself. That's a whole 'nother story.

The back hedge seen from outside the yard. I can't wait for this construction equipment to go away.

The year that I hurt myself cutting the hedge, I talked to the contractor who regularly trimmed our next-door neighbor's hedge. It always looked very well done and the crew did a great job with the cleanup. They did our hedges for the first time in 2012, if memory serves, and they've been doing them each year since. They do a great job trimming and cleaning up afterwards and, although they don't come cheap, I think their work is worth the fee. Unlike me, they have the savior-faire and all the right tools. And youth.

The tall hedge between our yard and the road. It continues around the far corner, behind the red maples, and along the eastern edge of our property.

A couple of years ago, the boss retired and sold his business to one of his crew. I wondered what the transition would be like, but it was seamless. The new guy is friendly, responsible, and the quality of the work is still excellent. He's the guy, along with his father, who assembled our greenhouse when we got it three years ago.

When the apple tree fell a couple of weeks ago, I had already emailed the contractor and asked about removing a tree (the blue spruce). We hadn't planned to take out the apple, but it volunteered. So, without hesitating, he agreed to take out the apple and the pear, and a second apple, while his crew worked on the hedges. They did it all in one day, something I could never have done.