Alternate post title: Trees: 0. Sherry: 2.
You might not remember what our first house looked like when we bought it, so here’s a quick reminder:
And this is what it looked like about five hours after John left and I went a little crazy with a clipper (surprise!):
Three cheers for finally being able to see the house. We gained a view of the neighborhood from the front windows instead of staring at a dense “tree fence.” It cost nothing and delivered a solid arm workout.
Curb appeal at that house was a slow transformation over four and a half years, and by the time we left it looked like this:
It’s amazing what removing some things and bringing in others can do. We’re big fans of Craigslist for giving bushes and small trees a second life—post a “you dig ’em up and they’re yours for free” ad and someone comes to do the heavy work for you. Pretty great.
Back to this house and my latest “me vs. tree” tally. I wanted to surprise John while he was out picking up those Craigslist chairs. While he drove to Mechanicsville and back (about an hour and a half round trip) and Clara was miraculously napping, I decided to tackle the giant magnolia that was blocking our front windows.
Here’s the monstrous magnolia in question: it hid most of the ranch-style house and blocked a lot of light. At first we thought it might need to come down, but when my mom visited she suggested trying to “limb it up” first. So I gave it a go. It felt riskier than my earlier solo tree work at the first house—the magnolia was far larger—but I was determined to try.
My tools were simple: a Corona branch clipper and a WoodZig hand saw, both purchased at Lowe’s a few years ago.
I also kept a baby monitor, my phone, and the house phone nearby in case Clara woke up, or John called. He rang a few times while I was out there, so I tried not to sound too out of breath while I hauled branches toward the back of the property. One advantage of nearly an acre of land: there’s always a wooded spot to dump trimmings.
My approach was straightforward. I used the long-handled clippers to remove the thinner, low branches I could reach from the ground. For thicker limbs I stood on a sturdy wrought-iron lawn chair and used the hand saw. I should have used a ladder, but I didn’t want to wrestle one around by myself.
Clipping the low branches only took about ten minutes, but sawing the big limbs was tougher—roughly 15 minutes per large branch. I sawed through three of those, which happily resulted in plenty of arm fatigue but no chainsaw-related carnage. The payoff was brighter light in the dining room and a clear view outside, so the effort was worth it.
Dragging all those cut branches to the back felt like hauling half the tree, and I had the nagging panic that John might come home mid-project or that Clara would wake up. I managed to get everything stashed in the woods, snap a few progress photos (definitely not polished curb-appeal after photos), then run inside, toss my muddy clothes in the wash, and take a quick shower before either of them returned.
In the shower I got the idea to record John’s reaction when he walked up to the house. I wanted to capture his surprised face when he saw the newly limbed magnolia. When he did finally walk around front he was definitely shocked and thrilled that I had done all the work without him. Mission accomplished—I had been joking that all I wanted for my birthday was for the magnolia to be limbed, and I made it happen, albeit a bit late.
Our front yard will keep evolving over the years, just like it did with our first house. For a free 1.5-hour afternoon project, this change felt like a big win: more light inside, a nicer view out the windows, and the satisfaction of doing the work myself.
Point: me.
That said, I did end up with a blister from all the clipping, so the tree earns half a point for putting up a good fight.
Psst- We announced this weeks giveaway winners (along with a discount for everyone else). Check it all out here.