Sometimes a design hinges on one decision, in this case to remove a tree or keep it. The tree is healthy, but leaning ominously toward the house. It’s also a species that we know first hand can come crashing down without warning in a storm. Yet, it’s beautiful, provides a wonderful view from the second story of the house, and keeps things cooler than they’d otherwise be.
The owners really love looking at the tree from the large windows on the second story of the house. They seem to like the shade it casts, too. However, there are some conflicts with their program.
The first conflict is that they just finished a major remodel of their home, and this would be a very bad time for a giant tree to smash everything. So, keeping the tree involves an element of risk.
They would like some lawn or grass, space for a vegetable garden, and colorful water-conserving plants, things that are more native and just grow. All of these things prefer sun. So,what will win? These sun-related features or things that work well in shade?
Removing the tree will be expensive, but if the wood has potential it won’t be wasted. If Clark at New Helvetia Hardwoods can use the lumber, he can mill the wood on site, then transform the tree into furniture, pieces of art, objects of beauty (process here). Not only will the wood be used for something more interesting than mulch, the owner’s cost of removal should be lower.
An arborist has already looked at the tree and pronounced it healthy although definitely leaning somewhat ominously. Removing the large limb growing off to the left to balance the tree would leave a huge wound in the tree, a potential source for infection and a real uglification. So there’s no way to correct the lean.
Complicating things further, they also have a heritage redwood, so they don’t absolutely need the shade from this tree. The redwood can’t be removed, since once the City says, “heritage”, you’re married to the tree for life, either its or yours.
In the end, the final decision – tree or not, shade or mixed sun, vegetables or shady seating rests with the owners. We can help evaluate, inform the decision making process, sketch out options for “tree” and “no tree” scenarios. But in the end, it’s the owner who will live there, who will relax in his garden in the sun – or relax under high spreading branches.