I'm a world class ditherer when it comes to the big changes in the garden. For a long time, I've bemoaned the shade cast by two leylandii I inherited in the garden, and the fact that nothing will grow beneath them. I felt that my garden was becoming a deep, dark pit. But should I remove them?

Well, for many years I took the coward's option of chop chop chopping away at the tops and tips, shredding and composting a seemingly neverending supply of sap-filled branches that caused my skin to come up in a rash.

But on Friday I took the plunge and got my tree man in to do the deed.

The weekend has then been all about digging in home-made compost into the impoverished soil, and planting back up a whole host of Red Campions, Aquilegias and others I had saved and moved out of the way of the hobnail boots.

By Sunday afternoon, glorious sunshine poured into the garden when previously an Arctic darkness had reined throughout winter.

The 'gardening for wildlife' idea is that the extra sunlight should mean more butterflies, dragonflies and other insects will linger in my garden.

As with any change, some creatures will lose out - I expect I will get fewer Goldcrests and Blair's Shoulder-knot moths.

But I think the gains will be worth it. And I don't just mean no more rashes!

  • Great stuff Adrian. You won't be disappointed by losing those big trees as they do block out so much light and drain the surrounding area of any goodness! Unfortunately as you say some wildlife might miss out but you have a lovely space which you can develop over the next couple of years to encourage so much more....It looks ripe for some pyracantha and honeysuckle which will soon cover the wall/fence and have birds flocking to it. The extra light will give you the benefit of planting a greater variety of plants and therefore more butterflies, bees and other insects. Sometimes a short term loss can become a long term gain.

    I was in a similar situation at the beginning of the year where a 40yr old fence between my neighbours garden and mine had collapsed due to sheer weight of plants and climbers which had over the years grown over it and through it. This overgrown area was full of wildlife but unfortunately couldn't stay as it made the boundary insecure and unsafe. We blitzed the lot and put up a brand new fence which seemed wrong but the resident birds don't seem to have minded too much! It also gave me another huge area to redesign and landscape so long term it should hopefully be much better!...

    As always your blog is a good read, shame I didn't discover it sooner!!

    Cheers

    Higgy

    higgysgardenproject.blogspot.com

  • Adrian - Join the club we had a leylandii "hedge" (the trunks were like tree trunks!) removed last month and it hasn't half made a difference, we have loads more space in the garden now they have gone and created space to plant out our rowan and whitebeam trees.  There is more light getting through and the garden looks much nicer without the dark zone at the back of the garden.  Hopefully can get a border planted up with a few woodland plants at the back that will tolerate the shade.

  • I think you'll find its a good thing in the long term, you could always plant something deciduous in the same area if needed.

    Best to give it a season to see if it changes they dynamic of the garden at all.