Sunlit garden with dry lawn, raised border, gravel path and a grey shed beneath blue sky — Garden with shed, raised borders and gravel path before the tree work

Oak trunk cut back to a tall bare pole with stubs and ropes above a garden shed and border — Trunk stripped of its upper limbs, with ropes still attached

Tree climber in orange trousers high in a leafy oak, seen between a brick wall and fence gate — Climber high in the oak, seen from the side gate

Climber in a bright top cutting near the crown of a tall oak with sawdust in the air — Climber cutting near the top of the oak with sawdust flying

Climber at the top of a large oak with roped branches, seen from beside a garden fence with roses — Climber roped into the upper oak, seen from the garden below

Large oak with full leafy canopy rising above a garden fence, rose bush and grey shed — Full oak canopy rising above the shed and rose bush

This Hall Green job involved a tall oak at the back of a garden with a shed, a gravel path and raised borders. The photos show the garden first, then a climber working through the tree on ropes with a chainsaw, and finally a trunk stripped of its upper limbs. Some of the views are taken from the side gate and some from the lawn below.

Working through a tall tree in stages

A tree this size over a planted garden cannot simply be pushed over. The climber goes up on ropes and works down from the top, cutting limbs and sections that are lowered or guided to the ground. In the photos, sawdust is flying from a cut near the crown, and one view shows the trunk left as a bare pole with stubs where limbs have been taken off.

Protecting the garden below

The lawn in the photos is strewn with cut foliage while the work is under way, yet the shed, fences and borders are still standing. That takes planning: choosing where cut pieces land, keeping ropes clear of shrubs, and clearing as the job goes. Before cutting any large tree it is worth asking the council whether a Tree Preservation Order or conservation area covers it, and the work should avoid active bird nests.