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unsightly tree stumps
Juliet 3
Posts: 3
My neighbour has a long thin garden and did have a line of leylandii trees down the left hand side. These have now been cut down and there remains a line of ugly bare tree stumps about 5' high. Digging out the stumps would not be an option. How can she disguise these stumps - they face south west and there are about 15 of them?
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Unless she gets a stump grinder in they will always remain ugly bare tree stumps. She could plant some climbing roses up them but 5 foot is not really high enough for climbers and it would take about 3-5 years for them to be even modestly covered. I'm stumped! Erect a fence in front of them? but then you may be faced with them if they are adjoining your boundary.
The trees belong to the neighbour and on his side they have foliage so he is not bothered!
If neither of these is an option there are perhaps a couple of methods of disguising them. Ivies and clematis scrambling over them would provide green mounds. Wires strung between them could provide a support for roses or other climbers.
Personally I'm not sure that either of those would really do the trick though & might just look a bit odd. I would also be a bit concerned that the trees were not dead & could start sprouting again. They say leylandii doesn't shoot from old wood but sod's law says that if you rely on that - then they will!
Have I got this right? The trees belong to your neighbour's neighbour who cut them down and has left them as 5ft stumps. Your neighbour's neighbour is not bothered about them as they are still green on his side. However they are not green on your neighbour's side and it is she who wants to disguise them. Is that correct? If so, I would advise your neighbour to erect a fence in front of them. If the stumps do not belong to her then she cannot/should not string wires etc up them/on them to grow climbers.
If they are still green on one side, chances are they will continue to grow (up the way) so the problem becomes compounded.
Thanks for all your help, I think in the end she should plant shrubs in front of them and then one day they will be disguised - do you both agree?
As long as she is aware that the ground will be notoriously dry and infertile esp if the leylandii are still alive. Plenty of compost etc when planting the shrubs and keep well watered for the first year after planting will help.
If the trees are hers, I would have thought they could be cut down to the ground and a fence made. If the trees are her neighbour's and they are as ugly as sin she might ask neighbour to cut them down. Are the trees on the legal fenceline or to one side of it?
I had 6 huge conifers and have been left with stumps that I cannot afford to get out, weve drilled holes in them, and ive planted lavender all the way round. now the lavender is covering the stumps, which gradually are starting to disintegrate. ivy would cover them too, I imagine the soil is rubbish,mine certainly is!