Large fir tree at the end of a back garden with a ladder leant against the fence — Tall fir at the end of the garden with a ladder against the fence

Climber on ropes against a fir trunk in a garden with cut branches on the grass below — Climber working up the fir with cut branches piled on the lawn below

Back garden with block paving, mown lawn and fences on both sides leading to tall trees — Lawn and paved area looking up the garden towards the tree line

This was a large fir growing at the bottom of a narrow back garden in Dorridge, tight against the fence line. The tree was too close to boundaries and other plants to be felled whole, so it came down in stages. The photos show the fir before work, the climber part-way up the stem with branches on the grass, and the garden afterwards.

Before and during the work

The first photo shows the fir towering over everything else in the garden, with a ladder leant against the fence beneath it and a tool bag on the grass. A fir like this is dense and heavy, so it is taken apart from the top, with the branches and top of the trunk removed first. In the second photo the climber is on ropes against the trunk with a pile of cut branches below. A bare, lopped tree stands alongside, and a rounded evergreen shrub sits close to the base.

Planning a fir removal

The final photo shows the lawn and block-paved area looking back from the house, with fences on either side and a small slide at the edge of the path. Firs and similar conifers often end up too close to fences and neighbours for a straight fell, so it pays to think about the space around the tree. Check with the council for any Tree Preservation Order or conservation area, and make sure we can reach the tree from the garden so cut timber and green waste can be carried out.