When we bought the Munro House Bed and Breakfast in Jonesville, Michigan, back in 1999, there were several 40′ tall pine trees lining the parking lot and shading the brick patio adjacent to the house. The roots from the trees caused the patio bricks to heave in many places and the constantly falling pine needles made the area a chore to maintain. I finally decided to hire a company to cut down the pines and start all over.
Wickham’s Tree Service of Hillsdale got the contract when they told me they could do the entire job in less than a day. It looked like a much bigger job than that to me. So my decision to accept their bid was based more on my confidence in the company and the speed of completion than on the final cost–although the cost was very reasonable.
Three guys came out with a cherry picker and a wood chipper. The guy in the picker cut all the branches from bottom to top and dropped them to the ground while the guys on the ground fed the pieces into the grinder that turned everything into mulch. Once the branches were eliminated, they cut the rest of the tree down in 4 foot segments from top to bottom. These experienced fellows did this work while avoiding telephone, cable, and power lines that were in the way.
The job was completed in about 5 hours and they offered me the mulch–which I accepted. It saved them a trip to the dump, and I had lots of areas in need of the healthy debris. Several days of moving the mulch–one wheel barrow at a time–put my landscaping around the house in very good condition. It was time consuming, but the loads weren’t heavy and it was very easy to spread. On a nice summer day the job was quite enjoyable.
My buddy brought his Bobcat over to dig up the patio bricks and the extensive root system. Another friend came over to assist in the installation of a privacy fence to give the patio some intimacy. Then I had crushed limestone delivered to put down a base for my new patio. Once that was dispersed and leveled, a layer of sand was added before the paver bricks were set in place in a herringbone pattern.
Old railroad ties were removed, a French drain was dug, a retaining wall was installed, and a variety of vegetation was planted. Pine needles had been a constant source of clogging eaves troughs and down spouts. Overgrown branches were causing roof problems, too. With these problems eliminated, the timing was right to install new gutters all the way around. The GutterMan of Hillsdale was hired to do the work. They completed the job quickly and efficiently with affordability.
We eliminated the old growth and found a house behind it! I guess I’d never noticed how well-hidden our home was. The trees had been overgrown and the work was long overdue. Our house now looks much cleaner from the parking lot approach. It will take some time for the plant life to grow and mature. It is a process that involves a lot of labor and care. But in the end, the final product will be very nice.
Mike Venturini – Innkeeper
“Life is good in Jonesville” 
Your decision was right to remove some of the trees. Now your house looks different and improved.
Hello!
I agree with Lea. Removing some of those trees made a completely different look of your home. Very promising landscaping too. Lovely home!
The removal of the large trees made a huge difference. Everything looks pretty nice. In the front planting area, the Bloodgood Japanese Maple is nice, but a little lonely. A few more small, ornamental trees would have been nice there up against the large white areas of the house where there aren't any windows. It would serve to soften that area. Way to create curb appeal! Much nicer.