Minnesota is a prairie state. In the Twin Cities we are in the central part of the state. I chuckle when on the Multiple Listing there is a home for sale and someone marks heavily treed. I don't think in central Minnesota we can say that. Try living out East and there you live in forests. They cut down trees to make way for houses. Here we build the houses and then plant the trees. What trees we do have ,we covet.
There is an unwritten rule that home owners are not to take down trees unless they have been marked with an orange X. I have no idea who created that rule. It stabs at my heart as a Realtor. Sixty years ago ma and pa planted a tree for each child as they were born, and they had six children. They never pictured the mini-forest they were creating in their backyard. No grass will grow as there is too much shade. Only hostas and impatients will tolerate the lack of sun. The roof shingles have a reduced life span as the limbs rub against them and wear them down. Two families later the homeowner wants to know why it is so dark in the house.
Whether you are building or buying an older home, think about the future when planting trees. Buy a tree that is large enough that it takes up space in the lawn and don't buy five sticks that you hope to grown into trees. In fact you put chicken wire around them so you don't mow them down.You can use a computer program to help you plan what the yard will look like in 5, 10, and 15 years worth of growth. Plant tress that are hardy to our climate. A catalog is not the best source. Visit a local nursery. Select trees that are not messy. Have you ever lived down wind from a Cotton Wood? I like some trees with berries as they attract birds. Think about trees that flower in the spring and those that give you color in the fall. I think it is fine to keep trees trimmed and on the smaller side. It allows the house to stay the focal point of the yard. I will go out to take a picture of a new listing, and I can't get a shot of the house as the big trees block it out.
Late fall is a great time to shape your trees. It is cold enough not to allow bugs to invade the trunk. As the limbs drop ,they won't do as much damage to the lawn as the ground is getting harder. When spring comes you will have nicely shaped trees. I use my trees to help screen out things I don't want to look at, such as my alley. The Service Berry comes as a bush and as a tree and they are so good at screening. The birds enjoy the berries and I have lovely flowers in the spring and strong red leaves in the fall. My Mountain Ash right now has bright orange berries bringing a new color to my landscape. Remember, I live in the heart of Southwest Minneapolis, and I can enjoy more than Maple tress and pine trees.
Don't be afraid of taking down and starting over. Six years ago we moved into our 1945 house and said,"Oh my God. Someone forgot about pruning." We first tried hand clippers. Then we went to electric shears. Next it was to rent a chain saw. In the end we had the dang things cut down and new trees and bushes planted. After so many years of being let to go wild, when we cut them back we were left with woody, ugly plants and trees. We designed a plan and now love it. You don't have to wait for the orange X to remove a tree. You can do it on your and develop a landscape plan that will enhance your property and give you payback at the time you go to sell.
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