trees

[buzzyb]

Af'noon all,

I have no option but to remove the conifers from the bottom of my garden. Can anyone suggest what I can put in their place to give me some privicy from the neighbours.

Many thanks

[Old_Geezer]

A brick wall ?

[chaptazbru]

Why do you have to remove the conifers ?

[tamborine]

laurel are evergreen, quick growing & max @ 15foot.

[quizbag]

How about a non-invasive species of bamboo? Won't keep out the sun and make a very gracefull screen.

[buzzyb]

Hi thanks for your replies, trees have to go because owners of the properties at the end of the garden have claimed the trees have taken all the moisture out of the ground which is causing damage to their properities. Either I take them down or go to court.

I've been told I can't put any trees back, but I have not been told what is considered a tree and what is a very large plant/bush.

I need all the advise i can get.

[ladybirder]

You say >>I've been told I can't put any trees back<<

Who has said you can't?

[ruthandsam]

What about several Cornus Alba 'Sibirica' which is one of my favourites because the bark looks particular beautiful in the winter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...lant_pages/8788.shtml

[ladybirder]

OK buzzyb, in the absence of an answer to my question, I would suggest you replace your conifers with a lovely mixed hedge on native species. Nobody should moan about that and you can keep it as high or low as you wish and it will be wonderful for wildlife. It will be like a block of flats for the birds. Here is a link to give you some ideas of the plants to use. Just make sure you give them all a bucket of water a week each in the summer or when it's dry, for the first couple of years until it gets established.

http://www.botanica.org.uk/HedgingCommon.htm

BTW, it sounds to me as if you are being bullied, that is why I asked you who has told you that you can't replace your trees.

[welshlibranr]

maybe a hedge of Red Robin, easy to grow,quite dense, can be trimmed often to keep the height down, evergreen and really lovely red and green foliage too!........

[shoota]

Blackthorn - then you can drink sloe gin to forget all your hassles....

[starone]

The chap across the back garden has a normal privet hedge which he has never trimmed. It has grown to about 12 feet or more and forms perfect privacy for him. The sparrows love it.

[buzzyb]

hi all,

thanks for all your suggestions, we're going to look at the tall hedges that grow quick and don't need too much attention! We also want to keep the small birds in the garden. It's going to be very stressful for them and us when the tress are taken down.

Ladybirder - the problem with the conifers has been ongoing since we moved in five years ago. I think our solicitor didn't do the searches properly! Anyway, the people at the back had a land survey carried out which seems to prove the trees in my garden and my neighbours were causing the problems. My neighbour removed his tress before Christmas. It's now our turn to get pressurised by the loss adjusters.

[ladybirder]

Ah I see buzzyb. Well I think a nice mixed native hedge will be far better for your birds than a row of conifers anyway. And will look better. Once it has established itself after a couple of years it will mostly take care of itself. Some Holly, Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Welshy's suggestion of Red Robin would make an interesting mix. But you are the one that's got to look at it so good luck with whatever you decide.

[Nibble]

We've got bamboo. It grows 6 ft high and is nice and dense.

[brenda]

Are the conifers actually on the fence line between you. or are they in your garden away from the dividing line? Why I ask is that I do not really understand why you have to remove the trees .Who has said this to you?

[ladybirder]

brenda if you read buzzy's previous posts she has explained.

[rowanwitch]

mixed hedge... blackthorn, laurel, berberis, maybe some rugosa roses. viburnum, and some buddleia lots of birds buttterflies and other insects

[fredkins]

Hi buzzyb,have you had some advice of your own(citizens advice or solicitor) because I have 16x15or so foot high leylandii on my boundry fence.As far as i know somebody (Law) can tell me to cut them down to a certain height but not take them out. Who is going to recompensate you for them if you do take them out.If you haven't already I would say look further into this .

[Dodger666]

Just how close are your trees to the complaining neighbour's property?

I find it hard to believe they can draw the moisture sufficiently to damage their property unless they are within a few feet from their building.

[RATTER15]

Dodger, nobody has claimed damage to a building, their garden is also their property, it doesn't just apply to buildings.