Gummed Down 2025
The 20 Minute Funeral

This page is part of a series of garden blogs from 2025. Click here for the index.

7 years ago, at a time when, with hindsight, our garden reached its zenith, we employed the tree surgeons from TrunkArb to remove what was left of the oversized trees on or just across our southern boundary. The extra light that flooded in caused an astonishing spike in growth. A major beneficiary was our gum tree (probably Liquidambar styraciflua) which was a mere stripling at about 2 metres high when we arrived 15 years ago. Unfortunately, this proved to be its downfall because it became exposed to the very occasional strong northerly winds passing over the garden and when we returned from Penang we found it had developed a pronounced and worrying lean. Our expert concurred that it was unsafe and we booked a mid-July date by which time, hopefully, Yuehong's lily bed round its base would have finished flowering. In the event, about a week earlier there was a stiff northerly breeze and the 'lean' increased. So we took no chances as #2 greenhouse and the hawthorn hedge were under threat and brought the day forward.

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There's no mistaking a tree in trouble! The second picture shows it in the lily bed. What the picture doesn't show is the disturbed earth to its right where the roots had been pulled through it, rendering them useless to protect it. 

The first picture shows clearly why I brought forward the felling. The TrunkArb team of four had already completed one job before they turned up at 10.00 and they immediately set to work. Normally one of them would climb a tree and strip the side branches but that would have been far too dangerous in this case. Instead an extendable pole system was used with a saw attached to the end, a safer but rather slower practice.

Having cut one side, attention was shifted to the other side. and then a major cut made near the top. Very soon the former top of the tree was left dangling in mid air. In the mean time, the rest of the team had disposed of the 'cuttings' behind our summer house.

It was time to remove the main trunk just above ground level with a chain saw. The other three members of the team gathered to support it as the trunk started to descend.

At this point, it was cut up in one metre lengths which then vanished as well. This is the final result. I'm pleased to say that the flowering lilies escaped any damage. The team swept up the detritus on the ground and vanished to their next job. It wasn't even 20 minutes since they started work and all I had to do was trim some honeysuckle ends which can be seen dangling in the last picture.

The gum tree has been part of the garden scenery since we arrived, particularly so in recent years and we were sorry to see it go. They are known to have shallow roots and frankly it should never have been planted in such an exposed position. On the other hand, I planted the silver birch at the top of the garden and it's entirely my fault that it's been allowed to grow too tall. It too will be going soon. Now it seems that we are successfully keeping deer large and small out of the back garden, Yuehong will establish a small rose bed in this area. However, all the signs are that the main slope between the bungalow and the summer house drains too well to plant roses in it.

There are quite a number of smaller trees lining our northern boundary at the top of the garden which have become too big but they are within my capabilities to remove. I don't have a chain saw and in any case at my age it would be too dangerous to use one in such an environment. So it's 3 days and counting so far, but the end is in sight.

Click here for the next part (to come) and click here for the 2025 index.