It could be worse, I could be looking at some new house. But, considering that the neighbors just pushed the debris into a massive windrow of severed trunks and stumps right along the property line - and this is topped by tennis court fencing - it's bad enough.
This tennis court and windrow of debris back up to my West Border and extend beyond the planted border along a wild area about 60 feet deep, ending at a berm and board-on-board fence along the north property line. Frankly, the West Border has been in need of major overhauling for years. It was the first border I planted and it's now approaching its 20th birthday. My screening problem may be just what's needed to nudge me into re-thinking this border.
Taking Stock
Some of the bones in this border are still good. At the southern end, behind a huge, hated Box Elder (Acer negundo) and an equally huge and hated Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), -- both too big for me to remove -- is a large grouping of assorted Rhododendrons, Ilex opaca and Azaleas. Next to this group, at the back of the border is a mature Dogwood (Cornus florida). I have never had success in establishing any shrubs under this tree, so there has always been a gap between its trunk and a row of Leyland Cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii).
The Cypress grew well for the first ten years or so. But they have been declining in recent years as the surrounding trees cast more and more shade. Now, they are bare of branches up to about 4 feet. The gap and the bare trunks were not so noticeable with the thick undergrowth of the woods backing them up, but now the view is not acceptable. These Cypress should probably be removed and replaced, but I don't want to lose their screening power so I will need to find something to plant behind them to fill in the void at the base. On a positive note, the Cypress should be happier because the clearing next door has let in a lot more sun.
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