It was around 9 am when I walked into the back garden and saw the activity happening just acrost the fence to the west. There was someone up there cutting in the neighbor's laurel. It was odd that I hadn't heard anything from the neighbor, she'd let us know the last two times work was happening. I had a bad feeling.
This photo was taken about an hour later (10ish), the crew was working from right to left. The back of the neighbor's garage was now uncovered and completely visible, as was their house behind our bamboo screen. How much was going to be removed from the area on the left half of the photo? Damn. I went back into the house feeling nauseous.
As I walked back into the house I remembered something I had heard just the day before, at the Oregon Association of Nurseries Farwest Tradeshow. Katie Tamony gave a talk titled "How to See Differently," and she shared a quote from Mizuta Masahide, a 17th century Japanese poet and samurai; "Barn's burnt down—now I can see the moon."
At face value that quote seems like a ridiculous "think positively!" type of sentiment. "Sure your car was totaled in that hit and run, but now you can walk the 10 miles each way to work and get that exercise you need!" But that's not how Katie was framing it, it wasn't just to be positive, but to look at things differently. Here's the list she shared, the Masahide quote fell under #1, never get used to anything. Once again I had gotten used to the green wall that hid our neighbors house, even though it wasn't mine and I had no control over it.
I wouldn't see the moon in the new empty space, but I would see more of the evening sun.
And I have great views of the hacked off trunks of the laurel.
I was trying to stay out of the back garden while the cutting went on, but I really needed to get out there and water a few things as we were headed to 94F that day. When I came over to spray the bromeliads in the southwest corner one of the workers was standing on top of our fence, cutting on the neighbor's hazelnut tree—the trunk visible on the right. He asked if a branch from that tree (or from the Doug Fir they were going to work on next) ended up in our yard could he jump the fence to come get it?
You can imagine my reaction. I stood there looking at him, trying to decide what I could say that wouldn't be "ARE YOU AN IDIOT!?! Where do you see an area where a branch could fall and not cause significant damage?" In all honestly I can't remember exactly what I said but I think I somehow managed to communicate that no branches were to fall in our yard. Period. And none did, at least no full branches, lots of pieces did, along with laurel leaves.
This next photo was taken at roughly 11:30. The height of the laurel had been reduced (you can see more of the Douglas Fir trunk) and the mass had been thinned. BUT, there was still a bit of a screen. Would it stay?
Here's what they left behind of the hazelnut. That looks like a professional job, right?
There was a piece of a Doug Fir branch over these plants, I should have taken a photo before I picked it up, but even then laurel leaves remain.
Stepping back further along the fence line, noting how much sun is now falling on a previously shaded area.
Maybe the bamboo will grow a little more upright? Maybe the mahonia and aspidistra won't mind the sunny 94 degree days to come (2 or 3 more were in the forecast and thus I watered this area very deeply).
Once the workers were done cutting and chipping and creating chaos they then cleaned up the mess they'd made on the opposite side of the fence, finishing off with a gas powered blower. I wish you could have seen the cloud of crap (leaves, conifer needles and SO MUCH DUST) they blew into my garden. Everything was coated. I had a friend coming by for a garden visit that afternoon, so I hosed off the plants, wiped down the furniture, and used my battery powered blower in an attempt to clean things up. I was feeling pretty horrible about the garden by the time he arrived. Thankfully, as good plant friends do, he ignored the ugly and we had a fine visit.
In fact while we sat on the patio chatting a hummingbird dove down into the newly open area and fed at these tiny lepismium flowers. Would we have seen this moment of wonder if the area above the fence hadn't been cleared? Would the hummingbird have seen the flowers? Was this my moon? (see above)
I don't know. Obviously I will be reframing how I see this area, at least until the laurel starts to grow back, which it will. I am thankful that window-obscuring mass of it was left in place, but I really would have appreciated knowing this was coming. I would never dream of contracting for work that so changed a neighbor's space (and trashed it in the process) without telling them it was happening.
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Oh, Loree, I feel for you. **sigh** it happens with some neighbors. I hope your shade lovers can withstand the rest of summer, maybe by then your bamboo will have filled in more. And gas blowers are the worst. Ugg...
ReplyDeleteThanks Tamara, summer... where did it go? Just like that a switch was flipped. As for the bamboo, it's as full as it's going to get—going on 12 or so years in place.
DeleteNauseating for sure! I don't know what's more disturbing: the neighbor's garage now visible, or the shady area not quite so shady. The time to apply "How to See Differently" will come as soon as you recover from the shock, and will take practice. Who knows, maybe some plants will enjoy more exposure and you'll figure out a solution for those that won't.
ReplyDeleteOh, and your garden may had some debris, but it's never ugly!
Chavli
Thanks Chav... the shock is starting to wear off, I'm just trying to roll with the punches...
DeleteOh dear. What happened to the neighbor? Was she elderly?
ReplyDeleteI don't think anything has happened, still the same neighbors—just no communication.
DeleteUgh, a shock to the system -- yours and the garden's. I hope the garden will have time to rebalance itself now that we're heading into fall, with cooler weather and more rain.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam, after a hot and sunny couple of days post-hack-job we've actually flipped to a cooler, cloudier system so the plants are gonna be okay I think. Me, I'm not so sure...
DeleteUgh. Luckily Laurels grow fast. At least the weather is shifting and the sun is getting lower in the sky.
ReplyDeleteJim N Tabor
Indeed, I am thankful for that!
DeleteWow. That's a radical change. I wonder what your neighbor sees now, looking toward your property?
ReplyDeleteI've been in their house, looking down, and since that bit of laurel remains I think we're okay. The real question is how things change once Clifford looses his leaves....
DeleteUgh. I've been there too. It's inevitable but a warning is always appreciated, especially when the work is as extensive as this clearly was. Pruning heavily in the middle to summer, during a heatwave yet, has never made sense to me. I agree in principle with Tamony's recommendation to "embrace procrastination" but can't claim I've always waited before concocting a scheme to "fix" the situation. Whatever approach you take, I have confidence that you'd make lemonade out of the lemons. (Sorry, I couldn't help adding another oft-quoted adage.)
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I really have no answer other than to just wait it out for the cut stumps to leaf out again. I'm sure the view is better from their side, less of a hack-job.
DeleteBlimey! Ouch!
ReplyDeleteThankfully the Laurel will grow back, but the heavy pruning has changed things a lot.
Most garden tradesmen are just labourers and do not have a clue about horticulture - would it be okay if a branch dropped in your garden? ZOMG!
A few years ago I was woken up one morning by a strange noise coming from my next door neighbour's house. I looked outside and there was a guy with a pressure washer blasting all of the moss and s**t off the roof. He didn't care where it landed and a lot of it went all over my plants.
I went to speak to him about it and he offered to wash my plants. Aye, right mate! I sort of guessed that he would have attempted to clean my plants with his industrial pressure washer. As a result, I politely declined.
Our neighbor had someone pressure wash the moss of their roof and I went and asked permission to collect it, that's how much of a weirdo I am!
DeleteCrikey ! Unfortunately, I can relate to this. My back fence neighbor can't decide what she wants to do about the numerous junk trees that have volunteered along our shared fence -3 privets that grow about a foot a day , and a hackberry which is only one of the many seedlings that sprout all along both sides of the fence. I must dig out 20 a year -at least. I keep having to pivot between shade plants and sun plants . I'm always happy for more sun but consistency would be nice ! I think those laurels grow about a foot a day too don't they ? Maybe you need to rig up some shade cloth.
ReplyDeleteNothing really to attach the shade cloth to in that part if the garden, but it's tempting!
DeleteOh! My Goodness. I don't know how you kept your cool. It is one thing to lose your own tree and watch as they cut it down but when it is outside of your garden and you have no idea what is going on that is a different matter. And undoubtedly they were hackers. Was your neighbor's garden very overgrown and really needed help or do they have other plans? I have read in England of lawsuits over large Leylandii, not being pruned, and shading out sunlight. Hopefully your plants will survive and a whole new shopping expedition may be in your future.
ReplyDeleteI think the plants will survive, the weather has changed to much cloudier and cooler this week. No shopping based on this experience, but there will still be future shopping!
DeleteThere’s nothing worse than losing your borrowed green wall; unless it’s a work crew like that one. We went and talked to the guys pruning at our neighbor but over our teahouse. Total yahoos.
ReplyDeleteA big piece left behind (hanging, caught on another branch) fell yesterday. Yahoos indeed.
DeleteOMG, Loree! I never comment but this post has me horrified! I would be so angry! It’s bad enough when my neighbro (sigh) has his lawn cut and they manage to blow everything over the fence and into my pond and open dining room windows and weed whack at my plants purposely draping over my ugly retaining wall out front. And don’t get me started on the time he butchered all his shade trees out back and removed all the screening they provided. I have no idea how you kept your cool. I hope those laurels fill back in quickly. I can barely stand to look at those butchered cuts. Your poor mahonias & aspidistras! I hope they don’t fry too badly. At least the light is beginning to shift towards something less punishing and summer is nearly over.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the sympathy, I know you know. I have the same yard care bro who works both properties on either side of us and cleans their spaces by blowing into ours...
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ReplyDeleteSeems everyone wants fast-growing evergreen laurel hedges but no one maintains them other than to hack at them every decade and remove years of growth at once -- you know we just went through this too. I could hear so many birds using that hedge for cover but no more. I'm so sorry for your loss of seclusion and the light aspect you planted under. Yesterday my DIL sent a video of people running over her streetside stock tank, stopping to check if their car was damaged, and then driving away, dragging plants in their bumper -- no note, no knock on the door. We're up against so many thoughtless, oblivious people!
Yes I thought of you and your recently changed views, there was a squirrel with a nest in the laurel, I just hope there weren't babies. Thoughtless oblivious people seem to be multiplying...
DeleteWhoa! It's so strange they've warned you in the past, but this time they were oblivious to the disruption around them. Ugh, and I can sympathize - we have a rental behind us. The renters are fab, but the owner doesn't do any maintenance, which leaves me with considerable weekly clean-up of their nuisance olive & pepper trees.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the absent landlord. There's one of those nearby too. The current renters are also great but the landlord (who lived there back when we moved to the neighborhood) does so very little for upkeep and maintenance that it's a real problem!
DeleteIt is disruptive to a gardener who often feels the garden is a place of private sanctuary and peace. For many people it's just "the back yard"--nothing all that important. To we in Clan Garden, it's a shock, even a violation.
ReplyDeleteJust a guess, but might the chop help your bamboo grow straighter--one small good thing to come out of this?
Wondering, what exactly is "laurel" genus/species name?
Me being me I'd get on a ladder with a pruning saw and cut off whatever is hanging over your fence which I'm assuming is the property line, (In my state this is legal.) and whatever looks particularly unpleasant. Hope enough of it grows back fast to give you good screening again soon.
Because of the side of the hill we live on we few if any colorful sunsets, but we get awesome moon rises. There's joy in looking for, and finding, the good.
Your first paragraph captures the essence of the problem perfectly. Laurel, funny I've never actually stopped to think about what it is. Kind of like lawn it just "is". Research shows it's most likely Prunus laurocerasus: English Laurel. I am hoping the bamboo will straighten up a bit, but who knows.
DeleteWell, the before and after pictures sure tell why it was so discombobulating. I certainly struggle to deal with change myself, especially when it occurs so suddenly, without time to prepare. Yeesh - what an ugly job on those branches. The more I talk to other gardeners, and after reading the comments, the more I see that we all seem to have that one neighbor...
ReplyDeleteI do have to say that I found your garden absolutely enchanting. I was so focused on all of the different plants in your yard that I really didn't have processing power to look at the neighbor's side. Thank goodness they didn't do all the pruning during the mini heat wave.
Enchanting is a great word, thank you Jerry.
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