<a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/holly-tree-felling1sep19.jpg"><img class="alignright  wp-image-5833" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/holly-tree-felling1sep19-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="178" height="237" /></a>One of the holly trees along the drive has died and although it wasn't dangerous it would become so over time. The hollies are not attractive trees however when we moved onto the site the tree warden for the Local Authority insisted that we keep a minimum of five holly trees on the site. Nick and Val were applying for consent to sort out some of their trees so they included this dead holly in their application and it permission was duly granted to remove it.

I wasn't looking forward to cutting it down because it was quite high and I'm not good up ladders. I'd already removed some of the side branches but all that was left was the main trunks.

<a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/holly-tree-felling2sep19.jpg.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5832" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/holly-tree-felling2sep19.jpg-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>After cutting some more branches Nick came to the rescue and took out the upper dead trunks and gave me the honour of felling the final 5 metres of trunk.

Another hour of shredding branches and the drive was clear of brush. Another couple of hours tomorrow and the whole area will be ready for an appraisal of what will grow in this area now that the holly is no longer shading it. I do need to replace the holly with a beech tree as one of the conditions of removing it. The tree warden suggested I might like to replace it with another holly - is she mad? They are an awful tree in a garden.

Big thank you to Nick and Val for their community support!