yes they are too close..

yes you should get rid of them first .... as getting them out after will increase cost ....

how big is your yard.. can you take them down for free??/ .. can you burn them???

is your yard big enough.. to make about an 8 to 10 foot bed.. and put in some green giants ...

i already hit preview, so i cant check ...... where are you????

ken

I had a feeling that they should go, they just don't look happy.

I'm in Sonoma County, we're in an inland valley with some coastal influence so we get a lot of foggy mornings followed by warm or hot days.

My yard is pretty big, about 110' x 110'. But there are the two big oaks and septic tank leech lines that can't be disturbed, so that limits the amount of space for planting.

My boyfriend would be happy to cut those three little trees down, there is plenty of room for them to fall without hurting anything.

This is a picture taken from a different angle that shows the oak trees that are one of the reasons we bought this property:
{{gwi:344155}}

I went out to measure and there is 16' between the fence and the leech lines, so there is some room to work with.

The thing that makes it a bit tricky is a drainage problem caused by the development to the south of us having been graded so that their water sheds into our yard, which is flat so there is nowhere for it to go. I was planning on installing a dry creek/rain garden system to deal with the water, so my plant choices will probably be guided by what does well with very wet winters and very dry summers.

May we talk about LEACH fields please? My skin crawls whenever I read about leeches, blood-sucking parasites. This proliferation of leeches seemed to have started in the Conifers Forum with the "planting on leeching field" thread. Thanks!

You might already be considering including California natives in your hedge. Many of these are wonderful shrubs that much of the country cannot grow and are evergreen. These include Manzanita, Ceanothus, Silk-tassel Bush and Bush Anemone.

Your oak trees are impressive when I compare their size with the height of the fence!

Here is a link that might be useful: Hedges, wind breaks, and screens with California natives

This post was edited by IshCountryGal on Sat, Apr 27, 13 at 23:02

Oops, I didn't realize it was 'leach' and not 'leech,' I promise not to make that mistake again.

I love my oak trees, I think in the winter when they drop their leaves and the mosses turn a beautiful green is when they are at the most beautiful. Of course, when it gets hot I appreciate the shade.

I was thinking of planting a lot of California natives, my plan is to create a sort of 'woodland meadow' look for the yard. I'm hoping to create the illusion that on the other side of the hedgerow there is a forest instead of a neighborhood. I'm lucky to have one of the Bay Area's best native plant nurseries located conveniently close to my house, so I was planning on heading there to get some plants and advice when I was ready to move forward. But first I have to get rid of those three unhealthy trees and get the yard graded... With luck everything will be ready in the fall, which is the best time around here for planting natives.