At the bottom of our garden, we had a beautiful cedar tree; on returning to France this year in April, we noticed that it was not looking very happy and within two months, it was very definitely dead and black. Plans had to be made to remove it, but as it was about 17 metres (55 feet) high, and it was surrounded by hedges and electric cables on two sides and my shrubs on the other two sides, it was work for professionals. The local neighbour was happy to bring it down for us, but we were worried that if something should go wrong, we didn't want to be the ones paying to sort it it! We eventually found a fairly local tree surgeon with excellent insurance and we felt much happier about going ahead with the job. All photos can be enlarged with a simple click on them.
The tree before we started; you can see how little space there is around it.
The tree surgeon on his way up to fix ropes and anchors
The lower branches already off, and if you look carefully you can see the chipper machine 'spitting' out the chippings of smaller bits of wood which we did not require for fire wood.
Out on a limb
In more ways than one!
Getting there
Last bit ready and
going
with a perfect landing.
Putting some style into the tree stump
and the mushroom appears
The large bits of trunk were put around the mushroom and now all I have to do is fill the centre with earth to make a raised garden. This should look spectacular next year (I hope), when it is planted and has plenty of colour.
The stack of firewood to keep us going for winter. We have been advised not to burn cedar on its own as the smoke is very tarry and clogs up the chimney, but we will use it with oak of which we also have a pile. The chimney is going to be cleaned this week, so winter here we come!
I would like to say thank you so much to Darren and his father who did all the hard work and left the garden in a spotless condition at the end of the day. To anyone who needs their help, I highly recommend them and they can be contacted on their website at www.viennetreeservices.com No, I don't make anything out of this! I just feel that their work was excellent, at a reasonable price and I am happy to make a recommendation. They work in Departments 86 Vienne, 16 Charente, 79 Deux-Sèvres and 17 Charente Maritime.
Don't forget the giveaway, see HERE to be drawn on the 24th August
I think you were so right to have tree surgeons do the job. They seem to have done a wonderful job. What a brilliant idea to leave the stump and create a flower bed around it! Although it did look like a totem pole in the picture with the branches removed. Now that would have been a talking point!
ReplyDeleteThey have made a good job and left you with something useful to remind you of what once was. it also seems to have opened up your garden.
ReplyDeleteHow do you feel about the loss of the cedar tree?
Craig I also think we made the right decision, but our neighbours still think they could have saved us money!!! I was worried in the end it would have cost a lot more. One slip and who was liable - us!! Yes, well I was still harping along the lines of a bear but Darren, or maybe it was his Dad, said it might end up looking like a mouse! Maybe the mushroom was the right thing to do ;-) Diane
ReplyDeleteIt is always sad to see the large old trees come down, but we do what we must. It's wonderful you were able to find professionals to do the work for you. They did a great job and the photos are really interesting. I hope you have a great weekend. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteGaynor I loved the cedar tree and I am quite sad, but having said that, we could not really see the tree from the house as there are two other trees in front. It will certainly (I think) be an improvement in the end and the cherry tree next to it will be much happier. Keep well Diane
ReplyDeleteMary I was sad to see it go but it must have been for a reason! I think the two did a magnificent job. Take care and have a great Sunday. Diane
ReplyDeleteWell done to Darren and his father.. and excellent job. Yes you were right Diane to go with them .. I hate to see trees disappear but I think you made the right choice.. and Wow love the mushroom !! xx
ReplyDeleteThey did a fantastic job of cutting the tree and keeping everything pristine. How great you were able to find them. I also think the addition to the garden is going to look fabulous filled with colourful flowers next year.
ReplyDeleteArtistic tree surgeons! I like the look.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice when you can find good quality workers. BTW if you need your jet ski fixed my husband is the best in the business and honest too. Hehe! Just in case you needed to know :) We do need a good tree removal service. We have a cabbage palm right smack next to the pool screen that has to come down. The palm berries collect on the screen and when it rains it drips a palm tea right through the berries into the pool.
ReplyDeleteI love what they did with the stump. We have a huge stump from a Date palm that died in our from yard, it was too much to take it out so I asked if they could carve a tiki guy out of it. heheh it didn't happen!
Your photos are a great capture of the whole event.
My but that was a huge tree. What a scary job - don't fancy doing that. I think you were wise to use get the professionals in. Love what they did with the trunk though. It must open your garden up nicely.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne I am sure we did the right thing despite upsetting the locals a little. They will soon get over it! They were all here for aperitifs last night and they looked and discuss it, they were not put off the drinks and snacks though:-) Take care Diane xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Joyful, I hope that next year it will look great. Diane
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan it is better than just leaving a stump or paying a massive amount to get rid of it! Diane
ReplyDeleteThanks Lyndsey, when I take up jet skiing I will be in touch LOL. Nothing worse than a mess in the pool, we used to have that problem in S.Africa with a thorn tree. The tree was quite rare so we could not take it out but those thorns!!!
ReplyDeleteYea I think the mushroom is quite cute. Diane
Ellie I am sure we did the right thing getting in professionals. I hope I get to appreciate the space next year :-) Diane
ReplyDeleteA great job well done, it is sad to see such a beautiful tree go though. We have lost a few since we moved here to the dreaded honey fungus.
ReplyDeleteLinda they was no apparent reason why this tree died. It was right at the beginning of the drought so I do mot think we can blame that for it.
ReplyDeleteDoes the honey fungus not spread? I would have though once you had it all your trees would be in danger.
The cedar was a beautiful tree so it was very sad but on the other hand there are two tree which will now probably grow much quicker without being in the shade most of the time! Take care Diane
What a great job they did..A neighbor had a beautiful cedar and I would take pictures of it in winter/spring..then the next thing I knew, like your cedar, it was dead and down it came..I was so sad, since it was such a beautiful photo topic..but I have the photos for a memory..Like life, nothing lives forever..
ReplyDeletexoxoRosebud/Carolyn
I love that there is something left to remember the old tree, in particular that raised garden with its mushroom centrepiece.
ReplyDeleteVera I hope that the garden next year will really look good. it is in full sun so I will have to be careful what I plant!! Still sad the tree has gone though. Diane
ReplyDeleteRosebud/Carolyn I wish I knew why it had died but even the tree surgeon said he could see no reason why. Just one of those things. I agree they did a fantastic job and the mushroom and garden will live on. Diane
ReplyDeleteI really think the garden is going to look great next year... it looks pretty nice now too, like wooden benches. Anyway, looks like you are going to have a cozy winter.
ReplyDeleteYes, professional is the way to go! We did the same after the storm in August damaged 2 trees. However, they removed the trees to ground level so no mushrooms here.
ReplyDeleteKaren I hope it will look good next year, I have to decide what to plant as it is in full sun. Yep I hope the fire wood we have will now see us through :-) Diane
ReplyDeletePam I have to agree, the locals are all great people and so happy to help, but I think this time we did better bringing in the professionals! I did not want the tree removed to ground level as there is quite a mound where the tree was and it would have looked ugly. This was the perfect solution. Diane
ReplyDeleteI always hate to see tree go but there are times when it is best to cut them down. We have cut down and removed a lot of trees since we moved here in 1962 and most of those were trees that we paid good money for and had planted. They grow too big for the space they are in and have to come down.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you made a wise decision.
Abraham Lincoln you are probably so right. The tree was already very big and if it had of got any bigger it would have taken over. We still have a very large oak, but the removal of the cedar will allow some of the smaller trees to develop. Diane
ReplyDeleteLET THERE BE LIGHT!!
ReplyDeleteNow you have firewood, a mushroom, garden art...and more.
All joys,
Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island
Sharon oh how right you are I had not though of it that way. LOL Keep well and thanks so much for the visit. Diane
ReplyDeleteI don;t know about you, but I always felt terrible when I had to get rid of a tree... no matter how necessary. Great you are using it for many things... honors the tree!
ReplyDeleteSo sad to see an old tree go - but I think the harsh Winter has seen a lot of trees suffer. They did a brilliant job. xxxx
ReplyDeleteA job for the professionals for sure and love what you've done with the remains. We have an old gum tree in our backyard that may need removing in the future but I think we might move first - the cost might scare us. Would your people like to come to Australia for a job?
ReplyDeleteAnd that final work looks just wonderful! Looking forward to the new garden!
ReplyDeleteCruise Pictures
You were right to hire professionals.
ReplyDeleteThey did a wonderful job and I can't wait until next year to see what your new jardinière will
look like full of flowers. (I saw a comment of yours yesterday on "Mais qu'est-ce qu'on mange ce soir?". I really love that blog. So french but it really made me homesick.
That will make an awesome flower bed...Happy belated birthday...Hope you had a great one...I remebered fom last year...our Bdays are only one day apart.
ReplyDeleteDear Diane, your fence and garden looks great. I can't wait to see what you'll plant in your new planter next year. Life is a little hectic nowadays but I shall start posting soon. Have a great week
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful job, indeed!
ReplyDeleteI've never had this experience of needing firewood. What a glorious tree. A bit of a shame to see it go down! Although, your mushroom centre piece is a lovely tribute to the tree :)
ReplyDeletegrrrr ... I was writing this comment last night when I lost my internet connection. Anyway, as I was saying:
ReplyDeleteI started out feeling sad about the loss of this magnificent tree and ended up pleasantly surprised by the creative way you used the stump - and all that wood should keep you going next winter.
You're right, taking a tree down can be a tricky business - the Tree Fellas did a great job.
Wonderful post and pictures Dane ... :)
lostpastremembered it was the last thing we would have liked to have done, to get rid of it, but as some of the branches were also starting to drop it would not have been safe for very long. It least we have a memory of it! Diane
ReplyDeleteDiane I agree they did do an outstanding job. Take care t'other Diane
ReplyDeleteLeon and Sue we used to have gum trees in Zimbabwe and yes when they got very big they became dangerous. It might be a bit expensive getting these guys to come to Australia it may be cheaper to move LOL. Glad Firefox is working for you. Diane
ReplyDeleteThanks Sailor, yes next year will be interesting. Diane
ReplyDeleteNadege it sounds like you need a holiday over here :-) Yes they did a great job of the tree, I am more than happy with the result. Diane
ReplyDeleteBo I am looking forward to planting out the bed, but as it is in full sun I will have to think with care what to put in. Another drought next year like the one this year will be a big problem! Diane
ReplyDeleteMARCO PASHA thanks for visiting when you have so much to do. Looking forward to reading your posts again but only return when you are ready. Take care. Diane
ReplyDeleteThanks Rosaria it is a great job and I have memories of what was there before. Diane
ReplyDeleteBrittany you are so lucky never to have needed firewood! For all that, there is nothing better than sitting in front of a fire on a cold winter's day. Yes the mushroom is a good reminder of what was there. Take care Diane
ReplyDeleteThanks Graham. My internet connection goes down quite often, so frustrating!!! I am glad you approve of what we did with the tree. It was becoming dangerous as branches were starting to drop and I think a professional tree surgeon was the only way to go, despite upsetting the neighbours! I think next year once planted the mushroom and flowers should look good. Diane
ReplyDeleteHello Diane:
ReplyDeleteGosh, definitely a job for the professionals! And, what a marvellous job they did too. These things can so easily go so very badly wrong as it is easy to understimated the amount of work and degree of strength that dealing with a tree of this size demands.
And now, you have a ew addition to the garden and a pile of excellent looking logs. Win, win!!
It's me again. Just wanted to let you know I have nominated your blog for an award, hope that's ok. Blogged about it earlier today.
ReplyDeleteJane and Lance, I am sorry that the tree had to come down but I am very happy with the end result. I just hope I can grow some pretty plants there next year. Yes and we can keep warm! Diane
ReplyDeleteEllie I am an award free blog, but thanks for the thought. If you want to know more about me take a look at http://lifeincharente.blogspot.com/2011/03/award-free-blog.html Diane
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
ReplyDeleteI love it that while others were working, you were taking pictures and just standing by :-)
That's the way to go, I think!!
And I love the way you arranged the logs, very neat.
You are now ready for winter.
Red
Boye By Red, no chance I was just standing by taking photos. I moved all the cut wood to the other side of the garden and stacked it myself!! They would have stacked close to the tree but I wanted it at the other end of the garden!! Diane
ReplyDeleteIt's always interesting to watch a tree come down. We've taken down a few, but it's always heartbreaking to watch something green come down. Amazing how quickly yours died, and fortunate that you found someone so good to take it down for you.
ReplyDeleteThat will make such a cute garden area!
ReplyDeleteMarjie, I hate removing trees but we had little choice here. I only wish I knew why it died so suddenly! Diane
ReplyDeletePam at least it is something a bit different, I just hope that I make a good job of the garden now. Diane
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about gardening and flowers...except roses and carnations, so I sure can learn a lot from you. I'm following you then. I'm Sicilian and my husband is Japanese so if you want international food, come on over, I've got plenty! My daughter (hungrycaramella.blogspot.com) is learning French these days at the St. Louis de France institute here in Rome, O'll tell her to follow you, she can learn something about France through you. When we go back home to Sicily I'll pay more attention to my basil and rosmarino on my balcony:)
ReplyDeleteWell, you've done a very good job Diane. Logs look very neat.
ReplyDeleteC'est toujours douloureux de perdre un arbre aussi beau.
ReplyDeleteLe résultat n'est pas mal non plus.
See soon
I am very happy to see that you got that big tree down without damage to the surroundings or to yourselves. Nice to see the tree cutters have some artistic instincts. I will look forward to seeing what it looks like next spring after you do your magic. Michel
ReplyDeleteIt's always sad to lose a tree. I would not have been able to watch.
ReplyDeleteSam
I agree with you cutting tree is something that a professional should do. It reminds me when my SIL's big tree at the back of their house fell, we ad so much of a hard time cutting everything as we did ourselves. You made a great decision hiring a company to do it for you.
ReplyDeleteCiccia thanks for following and for your visit, great to 'meet' you. I love International food and have had a look at your blog. See you soon. Take care Diane
ReplyDeleteBoye By Red, Thanks it was a very hot day (35C) and we were all pretty exhausted by the time we had finished!! Diane
ReplyDeleteNadji, J'étais très triste, mais nous n'a aucune option. A bientôt Diane
ReplyDeletechcmichel have to admit I was very happy that there was no damage. I am sure if we had not had the professionals in the end result would have been very different!! Next year will interesting :-) Diane
ReplyDeleteSam I was very sad as it had been a beautiful tree, but when it becomes dangerous there is little choice. At least I have the memory of the tree! Diane
ReplyDeletechubskulit, I am absolutely certain that we made the right choice. No doubt about it!!! Diane
ReplyDeleteA very interesting post. I have always found it fascinating - how do they remove old or dead trees? It seems like a challenging task. It was very interesting to see each stage.
ReplyDeleteOlga it is the first time I have ever watched a large tree brought down. It was fascinating to watch. Diane
ReplyDeleteHi there......nice to meet you. I hate it when old trees have to be felled. But looks like you do have a nice supply of wood to last you.
ReplyDeletexo
Jo
Jo, great to 'meet' you, thanks so much for the comment. It was sad to see the tree disappear but sometimes there is no option in the matter!! Take care Diane xx
ReplyDeletelook, how this man did a plastic surgery to this tree and made it a beautiful piece of art! This is what I call, best out of waste!
ReplyDeletehttp://cosmopolitancurrymania.blogspot.com
Purabi Naha, thanks for the comment, a great way of telling way it was all about :-) Diane
ReplyDeleteit's nice to see how they ended up saving the last bits of the tree and trunks to make into a little garden landscape. I'm sure you will be making them very pretty!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that is one gigantic tree. Too sad that have to be taken off. It's not easy to such big.
ReplyDeleteKristy
Lena once I have finally filled the area, it is taking a lot of soil!! I am looking forward to planting it out. Diane
ReplyDeleteKristy it was very sad the tree had to come down but we had no option in the matter. Next year I hope it will look good :-) Diane
ReplyDeleteIt's sad for the cedar but I love the mushroom, you know ? ;o)
ReplyDeleteKisses
Hélène
Hélène I was very upset about this tree as it was so lovely, but dead and with branches dropping it became dangerous. The mushroom though is a good reminder. Take care Diane
ReplyDeleteThis is adorable. What a great idea and what a big job to take that tree down. More sunlight now!
ReplyDeleteSarah sad as I was that the tree had to come down I am very happy with the results. Diane
ReplyDeleteI have awards for you on my blog..deserved;)
ReplyDeleteHi Dzoli thanks for thinking of me but you will see in my right hand column that that I am an award free blog. Diane
ReplyDelete