I can’t tell you how many times I looked out the window at my mostly-dead Mimosa and thought “I could just take that down myself”. Luckily, two things prevented me from making any foolish attempt: The only saw in my actual possession is a Silky Pocket Boy; and I have a friend/fake brother who owns a tree care business (WhippleTreeLLC, 508-55-trees – awesome website – and blog?- coming soon). For the price of a trade that I didn’t even have to fulfill (Z has the skills E was after), I had the pleasure of watching my beloved gay tree felled by a very skilled tree yogi. I freely confess that I have trouble doing anything resembling these yoga poses on terra firma without falling over. I would also like to make a note here that landscrapers – your average mow and blow joes – should generally not be allowed anywhere near your trees even if they’re willing to send an underpaid and under-educated employee out on a cantilevered hydraulic limb during a windstorm. Hire a professional arborist. It’s also worth considering that any arborist without a boom truck in their fleet probably actually still knows how to climb and will not turn down a job for being unable to get their truck near your tree. Any arborist worth the title should know how to prune without leaving cringetastic stubs and how to drop a tree without bouncing branches off of power lines, your house or your garden. Take it from me, hire a professional. They’re totally fun to watch.
Have you done the tree work yourself (confess it – I know some of you have) or have you hired a professional? Did you watch?
kristin green | trench manicure 
Nice! Glad you didn’t get zapped a-tryin’, either! Reminds me that I never did the tree-felling-by-the-yahoos post last summer, nor the follow-up pull-out-roots-with-car…
Lynn, I totally forgot that I’ve been waiting with bated breath for those posts! I’ve already started giggling. -kris
Sorry you lost your mimosa. What will you plant in its place, if anything?
I am terrified of both pruning and ladders, having heard of so many accidents, so leave it to the pros even though it’s sometimes costly. Much better than ending up in the ER, or worse!
Although I am squeamish about death, even when it’s a tree, I have watched enough to see that it’s kind of a pirate thing, like the way people can scale the rigging in a tall-mast ship without seeming to fear falling. And when you have a chainsaw dangling from your belt so nonchalantly… well, someone should do a movie about these folks, is all I can say.
I was cringing practically the whole time he was up there – backwards on the tippy of the ladder really got me… I’m not much for heights especially if it’s someone else up there. As for the tree, I think I’ll live with it gone for a while before deciding. It doesn’t seem as barren as I thought it would. -kris
No, I would never attempt such a feat! Our trees are monumentally tall canopy trees. Besides, It’s more fun to watch them. gail
Gail, I’m not sure I could even watch anyone working in “monumentally tall canopy trees”. yeesh. Maybe if I covered my eyes. -kris
If only I were more agile, younger, and loved a chain saw then I would attempt the climb. Used to love climbing trees. Must try that again soon. I know those guys have fun doing that work. Now you will have more room to plant some other great tree. More sunshine also.
Layanee, I loved climbing trees too – it was climbing back down that I didn’t like. I did plant a little sourwood off to the side which in 50 years or so might be enough tree for the front of the house… and I think the garden will like being out from under the mimosa dapple. -kris
amazing photos. as for myself… I helped my dad take some down, but we were more of the take it all down in one piece technique. As for the two gone from this yard… I paid.
Wayne, I can’t believe that there was actually a point when I thought I could take the tree down myself. I’m glad that your one-piece-technique didn’t take you or your dad out in one piece too… Scary. -kris