timber

We have big yard with lots of trees. We cut down 46 trees a few years ago, they were sick, overgrown and smooshed together and really not looking great. So we bit the bullet and cut them all down. Despite losing all those...we still have 20 other trees to take care of. A mixture of oak, ash, linden, spruce, pine, crabs and dogwood. I love mature trees and think they really help make a house a home. Both times we were house shopping, I constantly brought up trees. I like new construction...lots of perks there, but no trees. Just the sad little twigs that were recently planted in the new landscape. Pitiful. I'm sure my husband thought/thinks I'm nuts, but I can't help it! And in the end...mature trees won out. Because both of our homes have/had large lovely trees.

Now back to our backyard grove. Every year we pay to have them lifted. Because although we love the shade they provide, it can be too much and actually stunts and prohibits grass growth. There are spots in our yard where the grass is way thinned out and some spots are bare down to the dirt. We've tried shade grass seed and over seeding, and it just doesn't cut it. We had an arborist from the university come out- his advice was to keep them lifted and thin so that sunlight can reach the grass.

Well, long story short...paying to have trees lifted every year is super expensive. John and I have re-evaluated our household budget and spending. We decided to do this project ourselves. We bought a chain saw last weekend. And after cutting and thinning JUST one tree...we had already paid off the chain saw. The rest of the trees would be pure savings in comparison to paying to have them done.

We worked for two hours on Sunday- cut down a dead birch tree and trimmed branches on three ash.

At this point I'm super excited! 

This weekend we are hoping to finish our 'lifting' project and tackle the dead pine. One we lost it in the drought last year. :(

I'm excited, partly because it getting done the way we want- but mostly because its saving us money! Who doesn't love that!