It was a massive job, that is not completely finished, but we smashed it, thanks to them.
It's totes corny, but it's like the Neighbours song goes - "good neighbours who become good friends".
We've been neighbours for over 10 years, nearly fifteen actually. We have kids around the same age, but haven't been close friends or socialised for that long. Only in the last seven years or so.
Back to the trees. They were huge Melelucas, by my guess probably about 50 years old and starting to become dangerous. The decision was made to cut them down. We had a gorgeous shady driveway, and getting used to it without the trees will take a while to get used to.
Hubby hired a cherry picker to cut the tops out of the huge trees, they would have been close to fifteen metres high. There was LOADS of mess in the driveway and over two days we managed to clean most of it up. Glad we live at the end of the cul de sac because the road was covered with it, and our job would have harder if it was in the middle of a normal street.
The bigger logs remain, and they will end up being cut up for firewood.
It's still going to take a bit to clean up around the trees and along the fence, there's garden beds under all that mess and I can't wait for it to look gorgeous again. There is still some tree trunks to be dropped and cut up, it's looking fairly shabby! I did learn to use an electric chainsaw! Pretty cool.
We left the red flowering gums, we all like them and the birdlife they bring. I know it as Eucalyptus ficifolia, one of the latin plant names I remember!
A couple of branches got broken off accidently when the taller trees were being felled. I couldn't let the flowers get thrown away, I now have a huge bunch on the table and I gave some to our pet birds.
What a huge job! Glad you got some help from your neighbours, that's lovely. I would never trust myself using a chainsaw, go you!
ReplyDeleteGood neighbors are the best, except for the ones who pop over for a couple of quiet beers and leave at 130am!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome pics!!
We have always been friendly with our neighbours - in fact I do the shopping for our elderly former neighbour from over 10 years ago! Our current neighbours are great!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness what a difference it does make but for the right reasons it was time for these trees to go. I dont know what it was like for you to 'get council permission' for this but anywhere I have lived it's sooooo difficult. We are living in a rental place with palms planted decades ago now touching the power lines coming into the house, dropping their huge dead fronds and even more. We have asked the owners for some trimming to happen. We do what we can but we do not have the expertise for this big job. What a great testament to your neighbourly relationship though.Great story! Denyse
ReplyDeleteWow - Let there be light!!
ReplyDeleteWe have a massive Gum in our driveway that I want gone. In fact, thanks to wind storms, many of our Gums have been felled naturally! I really dislike Gums on our property.
Now you can plant a beautiful shrubbery along that driveway. You will enjoy that I think Alicia!
Good on you guys for doing it yourselves, I totally would've paid someone to do it for us {even if I wasn't pregnant}
ReplyDeleteAnd the light streams in! A big job indeed... and wonderful to have great neighbours. A tree fell down where I was staying in Canada and the neighbours asked if they could help then too. Love your photos, as always Alicia♥
ReplyDeleteIt will certainly be very open now but I am sure you will get those garden beds going and enjoy having the open space. How nice the have neighbours like that. Ours keep to themselves, if not noise wise. I love those red flowers and I can see why that tree was a keeper. I plan on having some flowering gums in my one day house garden.
ReplyDeleteThat's great to have such lovely neighbours! And wow...felling those trees would have been a tough job. The ones remaining do look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHow fabulous to have helpers/neighbours help you with that giant tree.
ReplyDeleteGlad you were able to get the job done with the help of your neighbours. We had to get some dead trees lopped and it cost a fortune! Love the pic of the birdies.
ReplyDeleteSide note: I've tried to add my link several times on Monday and today and it won't let me for some reason. Probably my dodgy laptop, so I'll keep trying.