A tree in the wrong place

Large ash tree on right of picture poking my lime tree in the ribs before work started

        
My garden is one in a row of twenty. Each measures approximately 20ft x 90ft (7m x 27m). The far ends of these gardens meet similarly-sized gardens belonging to the houses in the street parallel to mine so altogether they make up an area of about 190ft x 400ft (58m x 122m). At the end of each garden there is at least one large tree which I guess was planted when the houses were built, around 1860. If you live here you will probably find a lime tree or an ash tree or even a sycamore at the bottom of your garden. I suspect the original trees were ordered  by well-meaning architects or builders who did not realise that trees actually grow with time.

Rough sketch of the general layout of the gardens and their original trees

My tree is a lime. The neighbouring tree, was an ash, and fond as I am of ash trees (and I am very fond of them) this one had grown far too big for its space and was shouldering out the two lime trees on either side of it. My tree has a large kink in its trunk where it has been trying for years to avoid the sharp elbows of the ash. We live in a conservation area and every tree has a preservation order so the owners applied for permission to have it cut down and eventually succeeded.

Man up a tree

So in the middle of my self-isolation last week what was my delighted surprise to find a real person painstakingly taking down individual branches of the ash right at the end of my garden and in the most spectacular manner, far more fascinating than anything on the computer screen or TV. The whole process must have taken nearly a week and I was spellbound the whole time at the patience and skill involved in this operation. Huge bushy branches were attached to ropes so when they fell they didn't damage anything,  and finally, when all that was left was the trunk, it was cut off in slices, so no part of it even touched any of the trees, or plants around it as it came down. Full marks to Treecare: www.treecare.co.uk who did the work.

Space left by the ash tree - with a timely rainbow in the gap

Now there is a gap between the two lime trees and you can see how diminished both trees have been by the ash. Mine is healthy if a bit spindly and misshapen, but the one on the other side is a pathetic thing with few leaves and a spindly trunk. I hope it will now begin to recover. I wonder whether they will stretch their branches out towards each other and eventually fill the space. I also wonder where the crow will decide to build its new nest - I've noticed it  careering around trying to decide what to do. And, for a while anyway, I think I will see less of the squirrels who used to reach the garden by scampering along the ash branches and leaping from tree to tree.

In any case, for the time being, I'll have more light up the end of the garden where I am growing some sorrel and some cavalero nero and that will be a great  help.
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