Weeping tree with twisted hanging branches in a narrow back garden in front of a brick terraced house — Weeping corkscrew-branched tree in the back garden, with the house behind it.

Cut-down tree trunk beside a raised bed with a spade and dug soil at its base — Trunk cut down to a leaning stem, with a spade and loosened soil at its base.

Climber in hi-vis clothing working among the branches of a tall tree next to a clipped hedge and brick house — Climber in a hi-vis jacket working in the crown of a tall tree beside a hedge.

These three photos come from a selection of tree jobs in a Solihull back garden, where brick terraced houses sit tight around a long, narrow lawn. They show a weeping corkscrew-branched tree standing near the house, a trunk cut right down with soil dug out around its base, and one of our climbers up a tall tree beside a clipped hedge. Each one needed a different approach.

Three jobs, three approaches

The first photo shows the weeping tree before work, its tangled hanging branches reaching almost to the rear wall of the house. The second shows a trunk cut down to a leaning stem, with a spade standing in loosened soil beside it, so the roots are being dealt with at ground level. In the third, our climber works in the crown of a taller tree, using a saw on a lanyard and ropes.

Working in a narrow terraced garden

Gardens like this leave little room to manoeuvre, so ladders, ropes and careful cutting in short sections replace dropping branches. A hedge or a wall close to the trunk has to be protected, and the timber has to be carried out through the garden. Before we start, we would check with the council for Tree Preservation Orders or a conservation area, and leave the lawn and borders clear of debris afterwards.