Help with understanding a common mentality about trees (bird, eagle, pet)
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Or this ...
"He who plants a tree
Plants hope ..." and more words of wisdom about a tree from Lucy Larcom's Plant A Tree
Years ago my hubby and I bought a brand new house. A year later I planted two 5 foot live oaks in the front. We no longer own that house but every once in a while I drive by there when I'm in the area to check up on "my" trees. They are now probably 40 feet tall and they survived Hurricane Irma without losing a branch. I'm hoping to do the same here although this time I'm wanting something a little bigger so I can enjoy the shade from it for a few years at least.
At least we are on good terms with the folks across the street, and when I asked about the tree, it was because of the mistletoe, that it was recommended by a tree company to take the tree down. Ok, so "experts" spoke and they listened. (Read between the lines ... I'm being sarcastic about the expertise :-)
The "experts" want the thousands of dollars it takes to take the tree down rather than $50 to remove the mistletoe.
I live in a suburban neighborhood, and bought here for a number of reasons, one being that the developer (in the 2000s) chose to leave many of the existing mature trees. That's one of the charms, that unlike most of the developments the acres were not completely clear-cut.
When people built or bought here they obviously knew the property came with trees. If someone doesn't like trees, then why buy a house with them? They do, and then proceed to either have some of them cut down or have the canopies raised. These are then the people whose roofs take a full brunt of hurricane winds and are damaged or top-heavy trees fall over. These are the people who have squirrels and raccoons nesting in soffits and attics. So, they then decide to take more trees down.
I just really don't understand it, how people cannot see the correlation between trees and undamaged homes. Trees that have stood for decades are the buffer for damaging winds and are designed to bend and sway protecting a home. Certainly an unhealthy tree is cause for concern, but a healthy tree is taken down for whatever reason is what I can't comprehend. Why don't people understand that if you take down the trees that are homes to squirrels they have no alternative but to seek shelter inside a house's roof?
I think I'm also confounded that these people do not realize and/or have no regard for how their trees affect the properties of neighbors. The argument "well, they are my trees and I can do what I want" just seems selfish. Neighbors on both sides of my property had extensive tree work done which has altered my property to a huge degree. Where there was shade there is none. Where sunlight was blocked from my patio it now sears the eyes. Where there was once a privacy buffer I can now watch many neighbors' TVs through their windows.
I guess this request for help to understand tree mentality, or maybe it's just venting, has been spurred by my neighbor across the street taking down a large majestic healthy oak tree in their front yard because it has a clump of mistletoe. If they have the money to spend to take down the tree, why not spend that money to just have the mistletoe removed? It is A clump, not an infestation.
I bought a house with trees. I had to cut a few down
Three of them were dangerous leaning into the neighbors yard. The trees would drop stuff on their horse corral. Not to mention we do get high winds.
Another tree was so big it cost $800 a year in trimming. And that was a good price. As most estimates ran $1200. It got a pine beetle infestation and started to die. It was huge. 40 feet tall and the trunk was about 48 inches. So it had to go. Another pine tree was also leaning far into my neighbors yard. And there is a tree out front that has termite infestation that will need to be cut down.
Some people like having a view of something else other than a tree canopy.
Some just don’t want trees on a property. They are messy, can cost a lot to maintain and can be a hazard and liability
Our lot in the SoCal suburbs was only 1/3 acre but we had beautiful mature trees and plants. There were two big orange trees remaining from when the area had been an orange grove, that still produced hundreds of delicious Valencia (juice) oranges every year. There was a healthy peach tree, a plum tree, and my mom's rose garden with many bushes she had planted and tended over the course of 30 years.
When my parents had to sell the place, the new owner enthused about the big yard. But it turned out that all he wanted to do was bulldoze everything and put in a swimming pool. It was certainly within his rights to do what he wanted with his own property, but when I heard about this, it was all I could do not to cry.
Our lot in the SoCal suburbs was only 1/3 acre but we had beautiful mature trees and plants. There were two big orange trees remaining from when the area had been an orange grove, that still produced hundreds of delicious Valencia (juice) oranges every year. There was a healthy peach tree, a plum tree, and my mom's rose garden with many bushes she had planted and tended over the course of 30 years.
When my parents had to sell the place, the new owner enthused about the big yard. But it turned out that all he wanted to do was bulldoze everything and put in a swimming pool. It was certainly within his rights to do what he wanted with his own property, but when I heard about this, it was all I could do not to cry.
A previous home of mine was surrounded by mature spruce and Douglas fir. There was enough of a clearing so the house itself got nice light and none of the trees would end up landing on it during a storm. I loved the visual, sound, wind and temperature buffer they provided. Moved away and sold the house. A neighbor told me one of the first things the new owners did was clear all the timber off the lot and sell most of it for firewood. Then they started complaining about noise and dust from the adjacent road and the less than pleasant view of the partially collapsed, rusting pole barn on an adjacent lot. I actually knew the people who bought the place slightly. Never got the impression they possessed highly functional brains.
Last edited by Parnassia; 05-11-2020 at 02:51 PM..
At least we are on good terms with the folks across the street, and when I asked about the tree, it was because of the mistletoe, that it was recommended by a tree company to take the tree down. Ok, so "experts" spoke and they listened. (Read between the lines ... I'm being sarcastic about the expertise :-)
Ah, did they not notice that the tree company makes their money by cutting down trees? Ask a carpenter how to fix things and everything can be fixed with a hammer. A plumber will recommend a pipe wrench. They asked a tree 'service' which almost always is more about tree removal than anything else.
We get people around here who buy a vacant lot and then have it entirely cleared. Then they don't build for awhile since they don't have their building permits in place and by the time they want to do something the lot has been covered by invasive brush and trees. Idiots. It takes YEARS to grow a tree, folks should be very careful about removing them.
We get people around here who buy a vacant lot and then have it entirely cleared. Then they don't build for awhile since they don't have their building permits in place and by the time they want to do something the lot has been covered by invasive brush and trees. Idiots. It takes YEARS to grow a tree, folks should be very careful about removing them.
Pin to pin.
But those "empty" lots are a great place to toss your garbage!
And I also don't understand those who follow the housing ads to "tree lined streets" or "majestic oaks" and then destroy those assets, not just for themselves but for all their neighbors. They could have saved money by buying in "Barren Acres."
I built a house in an area that had about 200 houses built between about 1960 and 1990 in what had been virtually a forest of oaks and pines; all the lots were a half acre to an acre or a little more. About two years ago in passing I noticed one homeowner on the main road there, pretty much in the middle of the area had cleared every single growing object taller than a blade of well trimmed grass. As of yet they have not expanded the house, built a deck or put in a pool, they just eliminated everything over two inches tall. It looks like hell. Go figure.
Last edited by kokonutty; 05-12-2020 at 12:38 AM..
What on earth?!! This is one of the silliest posts I have ever seen on C-D.
OP, I bought my house FOR the lot and the trees -- I have basically a mini-forest at the back of my back yard. It's beautiful and peaceful and I still love it, 8 years after moving here. My neighbors seem to feel the same way about THEIR trees.
^^^ We're in our sixth decade, and we're not that elderly...and we have the only house in our cul-de-sac with trees. We've lived in our house for 22 years, and our trees have gotten bigger and more impressive over the years. And yes, they drop leaves in the fall, and they drop cones, seeds and whatnot in the spring. They're messy. Their roots have buckled our courtyard pavers so the pavers had to be removed. But we love every one of them. We've counted 18 mature trees on our SoCal property of 2/3 acre, and since we're the only lot with big trees, we provide a home for all kinds of birds including hawks.
Here's a story about a neighbor and a tree: When we moved in, our neighbor had the most gorgeous big old ash tree in their front yard. It provided shade for our driveway, and privacy for our upstairs windows. But then one day when we came home from work it was gone--they had simply cut it down. Too messy. Of course it was their tree, so they could do what they wanted.
So we grieved for the tree, and tried to get used to the new, empty space. And then...six months later something strange happened: A small seedling appeared in our front yard rose bed, next to the property line. And it grew. And grew. And grew. It spread out its branches--and we noticed those very distinctive ash tree leaves! Yes, it was a volunteer shoot from the root of the neighbor's old ash tree. It had traveled underground from the old stump over to us, a distance of about 15 ft. And since it was on our side of the property line, it had found shelter where it would be appreciated--sanctuary. Our neighbors are long gone, and the new ash tree is almost as majestic as the old one, after 20 years. It was joined by one more shoot, and the two ash trees now provide shade for our driveway, and privacy for our upstairs windows. And they are ours, and beautiful.
We have retirement property in North Idaho, 5 acres of trees. Hundreds of trees. We're getting used to not grieving when a tree has to go...
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I actually knew the people who bought the place slightly. Never got the impression they possessed highly functional brains.
