Smethwick is dense in places, with canals, Victorian terraces and inter-war streets sitting close together, and its trees have to fit into small spaces. When their lowest branches fall across paths, brush windows or hang over water, a crown lift is the simplest remedy. That suits both Smethwick's tight terraces and the more open inter-war roads.
We remove only the lowest limbs and shape the cuts so the tree stays healthy. The tree keeps its overall form, and you get the clearance you need around the house, garden or boundary. Everything is tidied away afterwards, including twigs and leaves on towpaths or paving.
Smethwick's canal heritage means a number of gardens back onto towpaths and water. Trees there tend to lean toward the light and over the water, with low limbs that catch boats, walkers or cyclists. Lifting the crown clears the path and keeps the trunk and main structure of the tree unchanged. Good planning keeps neighbours and passers-by comfortable while the work goes on.
Waterside work needs planning because cut branches must not fall in the canal or block the towpath. We think through where each piece will land and use ropes to guide it. Where a tree stands on land you do not own, such as a bank belonging to someone else, ask the owner first and we can help explain. It is a sensible habit that avoids arguments about boundaries.
Most gardens here are small to medium in size, with a tree or two doing a lot of work: shade, screening, a bit of greenery. A lift preserves that benefit and returns the space underneath. It can make a washing line, shed or seat usable again and lets light reach a window that has been dim for a while. Keeping the upper canopy also keeps some privacy from overlooking windows.
The scale of the work is modest, so it is usually quick to organise. We aim for a lift that suits the house: enough height to clear what is in the way, no more, with the cuts spread evenly around the tree. Where Victoria Park trees stand next to a boundary, we check whose they are first. It is a tidy, proportionate job.
A few details help us plan the work for your Smethwick property: where the tree is, what it overhangs, how we get in and whether it might be protected. We also cover Oldbury, Handsworth and Bearwood, so if you are close by we can usually look at it without much delay. Photos of the canal or street side help.
Based in Hall Green, so we are never far from the gardens we work in.
We look at the job before we price it, so you know what is involved.
Branches, clippings and rubbish from our jobs are cleared and the garden left tidy.
Call, or send photos on WhatsApp, and we will come back to you.
Crown LiftingA tall golden conifer in a Hall Green back garden, with its bare trunk showing beneath the canopy above the fence.
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Tree FellingA tall, dense conifer beside a fence and decking in Smethwick, photographed before and while it was cut down.
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Tree SurgeryOne of our climbers working high in the crown of a tall, leafless tree in Smethwick, with cut stems standing below.
View project →From our base in Hall Green we work across Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull and parts of Worcestershire. Choose your area.
Often yes, but we plan carefully so no branches fall into the water or block the towpath. We also need to know who owns the tree and the bank. Send us a photo and location and we will explain what is needed.
Pruning is the general word for cutting any part of a tree. Crown lifting is one kind, aimed specifically at the lowest branches to raise the canopy. Other kinds include thinning dense growth and reducing the overall size.
It depends on the tree, but lifting normally lets in more low-angle sun and brightens the space beneath. Because the upper canopy stays, you keep some shade and privacy, which many small gardens still want. That is why we aim for moderate lifting rather than heavy removal.
Tell us what needs doing and where. We will get back to you to arrange a visit and a free, no-obligation quote. Photos sent on WhatsApp help.
