Back garden lawn between new fence panels and a shed, with a small bare patch at the far end — The lawn after removal, with a bare patch where the conifer stood

Tall dark green conifer behind an orange-brown shed, with fence panels either side and equipment on the lawn — Tall conifer before removal, standing behind the shed with kit on the grass

This project shows a single tall conifer in a Birmingham back garden, standing between a shed and the fences. One photo catches it before work began, and the other shows the same lawn once the tree had gone, leaving only a patch of bare ground where it stood.

Taking a big conifer out of a small garden

A conifer of this height, rooted close to a shed and a run of fencing either side, is not a tree you can simply push over. It is normally taken down in sections from the top, with the pieces lowered carefully so that nothing lands on the shed or the fence panels. The first photo shows how narrow the working space is.

Once the trunk is down, the timber is cut up and the green waste is taken away. A tree like this carries a lot of foliage for its size, so the clearing takes as much thought as the cutting, and the lawn is left ready to use again. Roots are dealt with separately if needed.

What the photos show

The before shot shows a dense, cone-shaped conifer with equipment waiting on the grass, plus a second, weeping conifer to the left. The after shot shows an open lawn, tidy fence panels either side and a bare patch at the back where the tree stood. The weeping conifer is still standing, so this was one tree removal, not a clearance.

If you have a similar tree, check for a Tree Preservation Order or conservation area with the council first. Also think about what you want in the gap, because a bare patch of ground at the back of the garden can be reseeded, planted or left for a new shed or border.