Looking up between two brick garages at a silver birch with pale cut stems against blue sky — Birch with cut stubs rising between two brick garages

Large silver birch with drooping branches and an aluminium ladder resting against its trunk — Large weeping birch with a ladder resting against its trunk

Tree climber in hi-vis high in a tall silver birch above rooftops and a red fence — Climber working near the top of a tall birch behind houses

These three photos show silver birch trees in Oldbury, a species with white bark and long, hanging twigs. Birches grow fast and tall, so they can quickly outgrow a small back garden. The pictures show a tree with fresh cuts between two brick garages, another standing large with a ladder against its trunk, and a climber high up in a tall birch behind a row of semi-detached houses.

What the photos show

The first picture looks up between two garage roofs at a birch with several upright stems, some with pale cut stubs at the top, so work had already begun. The second shows a very full, wide birch with a ladder resting against it. The third shows a climber in a hi-vis top and helmet working high in a tall birch, above the neighbouring rooftops and a red-brown fence.

How birch is usually handled

Birches are light-wooded, with brittle twigs, and they are usually reduced in stages from the top down. In tight spots like these, between buildings and over fences, branches are lowered or cut into short lengths to avoid damage. A ladder helps with the lower part of the tree, and a rope and harness give access higher up. We also check for nesting birds and tree protection before cutting.