Cutting The River Birches

Turkey Tracks: July 17, 2020

Cutting The River Birches

They were big, overgrown, bent, and an accident waiting to happen.

We planted them when we first moved here in 2004. River Birches don’t have a long life span, so I knew that they were entering the time frame when they would cause trouble—especially in the winter.

Tom Jackson of Jackson Landscape Services, who has bailed me out so many, many times now, came to view the problem and agreed that the best course was just to cut them down. And, to add to the work order a regular birch tree out front that was overgrowing the front yard and upper deck.

Tom organized Timbercliff Tree Services to do the work that happened this week. Tibercliff does terrific work and has a terrific crew. They actually came about five years ago and trimmed these same river birches after they had been badly damaged in a winter ice storm—which gave them another five years of life here.

I will miss the beautiful bark and these graceful trees, but I’m also looking forward to having more sun in this part of the yard.

Timbercliff uses a bucket to get to the tops of the trees when they can.

Wow. You can see the house again.

And this bed will now get a lot of sun. I love the way our woods are so dark and mysterious in the summer. They beg you to come explore.

The birch tree out front was kind of wrapped around a big oak. The lower branches have been cut now, but you can see, on the left, the oak in front and the birch behind it. For this work, a brave man climbs the tree—which is on a VERY steep hill. The cut tree parts will just be laid at the base on the hill to help shore it up. We used to have a path to the meadow down this hill, but I gave up that work a long time ago.

I’ve never seen AC ask to go inside when there is lots of activity outside. But he’s almost 2 1/2 years old now, and he’s learned some wisdom. Clearly he thought all the men on the property and the heavy sound of the saws was dangerous.

Taking down the birch in the front is giving the front beds much more light. There is a new feeing of openness out there now.