The property on Edgewater is only about 1/3 of an acre, but in the last four years, I’ve had at least thirteen trees removed, about half of which were quite large, some 50-60 feet high.
The last two trees to be taken down were so severely damaged in last weekend’s storm that they were left with maybe 30% of a normal crown.
The arborist told me that he’s seen a lot of sick oaks this year, a combination of attacks over the last couple of years by moth caterpillars and a cold spell this past February following a mild early winter.
Former owners pretty much neglected the property, so there was a lot of overcrowding, like the beautiful holly in the front yard that was being engulfed by a giant oak, and some of the bigger trees were unhealthy and posed a hazard to the house.
Last weekend, my granddaughter called in the middle of the storm to tell me that a gigantic branch had almost hit her bedroom window. Her little brother then reported that a couple of other huge branches barely missed his beloved swing set in the back yard. I had visions of mayhem when the next Nor’easter hits.
The first three Autumns, we were overwhelmed with leaves. I bought the house in November 2001, and the old residents hadn’t bothered to clean up the yard. I ended up hiring people to help us with cleanup in 2002 and 2003.
We had the first set of trees removed in January 2003 and more in June 2006, and the difference was remarkable. Not only was yardwork significantly easier, but we got compliments from the neighbors on how much nicer the property looked.
Still, it bothers me to have had the trees cut down, and not only because of the expense. The decisions to remove the trees have been highly selective and made with careful deliberation, but wrenching just the same. I hope it’s a while before we’re faced with such decisions again.