A tree-hugging goodbye
We’re in the process of taking down two trees on our lot in San Marino. They’re probably 60 ft tall and just a little over a foot from the side of our house.
The previous owners of our house lived in our home for over 30 years and loved trees, so much so that they had these two podocarpus fern pine trees’ roots reinforced to our foundation. They also had an arborist map out all the trees and plants throughout the property… and we’ve got plenty! The home’s lushness is part of what pulled me in — there’s liquidambar, carrotwood, willow, lemon, tangerine, avocado, fig and even a peach tree (sadly, the squirrels get to them before we ever do); there are also roses, jasmine, ivy, camellias, rosemary, lavender, and daffodils that surprise us in the spring, to name a few.
For my birthday this year, B and the kiddos planted strawberries, zucchini and tomatoes, and it was the most beautiful sight. While much of our edible garden has since wilted, I still have lofty dreams of regularly tending to a healthy and lively garden. One day, I’ll figure it out!
All that said, it’s been tough to part with these two very, very large trees. It feels so wrong to cut any tree down or living plant down.
*Our trees (the second fern pine is equally as large and behind the front left one ).
With these two fern pine trees in particular, they’re enormous. The fact that they’ve grown as tall as they have is an absolute wonder. The light, glow and greenery they cast.. they provide us with shade and are home to little creatures.. how could we take that away? My rational side reminds me of the heavy storms we’ve had, tree damage folks we know have experienced, future earthquakes, and that they’ve already caused damage to our home, there’s risk of more to our foundation.
It’s only a matter of time.. and we’ve been trying to buy as much time as we can, especially because they’re quite costly to take down. Given how they’re so narrowly sandwiched between our home and our neighbor’s, it will be an endeavor.
What I’ve learned in the process:
Large trees should be craned. When removing a tree, nearby property should be boarded with plywood for safety of the structure; the roof should be tarped, and whomever is climbing on the roof for access should know how to do so properly (with our tile roof, improper walking on the roof can easily damage tiles and said roof).
When removing any large tree, there will be shaking of the home and potential movement in foundation, which could lead to cracks in ceilings and walls akin to a home settling.
We received quotes ranging from $6,500 - $13,500. A big portion of the difference is in the use of a crane, which often companies will rent.
What makes the city of San Marino so special are the trees. They’re inherent to the city’s landscape, and what makes driving around awe-inspiring. The city is very protective of its trees and verdant landscape. I’ve even heard horror stories of folks getting fined in the double digit thousands for improper removal and trimming of trees! In fact, you need a permit to remove certain trees. Given the size of our fern trees, we needed the city’s approval… I’ll share more about that process in my next post!