Wooden decking beside a tall fence with ivy, leading to a lawn and a tree at the far end — Long garden with decking, fence and a tall conifer near the end

Long ladder leaning on brick garden steps below three cut trunks and a tall green conifer — Ladder against garden steps beside three large cut-back trunks and a tall conifer

Worker in high-visibility clothing holding a chainsaw next to a tall conifer and ivy-covered fence — Team member with a chainsaw beside a conifer with a dead brown centre

Three large trees reduced to bare stems above garden fences, with cut branches lying on the grass — Three large trees cut back to bare stems, with branches across the lawn

These four photos are from a selection of tree jobs in Smethwick, taken at different gardens rather than one single address. They show tall conifers, large trees cut back to bare stems above boundary fences, a ladder rigged against steep garden steps and a team member with a chainsaw at the foot of a dying conifer. Together they give a fair picture of ordinary tree surgery in Black Country gardens.

Large trees in small gardens

Many of the gardens here are narrow, with houses close by, high fencing and little space to drop anything. That usually means taking trees apart in pieces and lowering or carefully placing each one. In the photos, several large trunks have been cut back hard, leaving bare stems standing above the fences, while branches are cleared from the lawn. Before this kind of work we check whether any legal protection applies.

Conifers, ivy and access

One photo shows a tall conifer with a brown, dead patch in its centre, with ivy climbing the fence next to it. Conifers do not regrow from bare wood, so they are generally reduced with care or removed. Another shows a long ladder placed against terraced garden steps, which is how access is often solved where machinery cannot reach. All timber and green waste is normally taken away afterwards.