How many sins would I be committing if I cut down these Arbor Vitae?
Update:
(Shouting while taking shelter behind my 20 foot tall privacy hedge)
I HEARD YOU! I WILL NOT BE TAKING DOWN THE TREES!
I was not expecting so much traction.
I admit: this was a hasty post, fueled primarily by frustration at the puppy procuring yet another piece of trash from the hedge that captures everything the wind blows (a blessing and a curse! ESPECIALLY if we have a wind on garbage day). She gets to trash that I cannot pickup due to the density and size of the trees, and I have was feeling exasperated having to cleaning up the yard so frequently.
But I get it…. It is a beautiful and near priceless hedge.
I will be keeping the hedge and, despite my children’s REQUEST (oops), will likely move the fruit tree then plant a few more arbor vitae because that little gap is really awkward.
Thank you for all of your feedback!
Lastly, I do want to defend my point of just how much space these trees take up. It’s not just a straight line of trees but rather a bowed line that at its widest point protrudes 10+ feet into the yard. Regardless of this fact, I agree with the vast majority of you: I would miss the privacy, shade, and sound barrier this small forest provides and thus I will be keeping it.
Original Post Below
(First please excuse the scattering of dog toys).
We inherited this towering hedge from the previous homeowners, including that gap in the middle. There were 3 nearly dead nine-bark shrubs planted in the gap of which i removed two then planted a fruit tree at the bequest of my kids.
It has been really difficult to access the back side of the hedge for trimming and suddenly this spring there has been a large amount of overgrowth into the neighbor’s yards. In addition, getting a puppy has shown me just how much…. Potential…. Is back there behind the hedge (aka I underestimated just how much trouble she’d be able to find in the hedges… birds, bunnies, trash etc). Not to mention, the hedge is like 3 trees deep and takes up a ton of space in our yard, I could do so much more if the arbor vitae were not there!
I do love the privacy and shade that we are afforded…. But my mind is also racing with creative ideas of all I could put in their place.
Am I nuts for wanting to remove this? And more importantly what spirits will haunt me if I do?
Thanks for your help!