Being surrounded by forest makes for a wonderful peaceful setting, with verdant vistas and myriad birdlife. However, having these larger tree species within the garden can pose a bit of a problem. Like any living being, they have a life span and some had been shedding bark and limbs at an increasing rate with the potential to damage outbuildings. We called in the Tree Doctor to diagnose diseased, dying and dangerous specimens. A huge Eucalypt was deemed to be failing (I don’t miss cleaning up the frequent sheets of bark on the driveway).

A second Eucalypt, with a distinct lean away from the prevailing westerlies, was displaying the same symptoms and awarded the same fate.

A healthy Tasmanian blackwood just needed an amputation of a rather large limb overhanging the studio

but another blackwood we thought in need of a trim was actually slowly dying.

A few weeks later the team arrived and wasted no time tackling the first blackwood.

The smaller branches were picked up and fed into the chipper

which was then emptied into an ever increasing mulch pile.

Before long, only a stump remained and a substantial stack of timber for future firewood.

The razing of the leaning Eucalypt was a little more involved. A precise landing was in order to prevent damage to buildings, fences and established plants in the garden beneath. With ropes attached to guide the downward trajectory,

a hefty chainsaw took care of the rest and the giant was felled.

I was pleased to see the rhododendrons still upright on either side of the enormous trunk.

The mulch pile continued to grow, along with the firewood supply for the next few years.

A quick trim of a wayward branch from a pine tree on the neighbouring property

and the final Eucalypt was tackled.

Proximity to the fence was problematic but the skill of the experienced team overcame the hurdles for another successful outcome.

Now, where is that chainsaw……..