Would you prefer developers kept large mature trees around the houses?

[1970pelle]

I didn't read the whole thread,but.I say trees and more trees.Yes there are times when a tree must come down.But it should be law that you have to replace it with at least 2 more.Thanks all who posted such great photos.

[kelly3120]

LOVE TREES!!! Hate the new neighborhoods that are flat w/ random boxes(houses) in them.
Old trees are GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!! We looked for mature trees when we bought our most recent home

[Merlander]

Yes....yes....yes....yesssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lots Of Trees!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Art123]

I used to live in a newer development in Northern VA where they would leave these little strips of trees between sections of houses/apts. Unfortunately these little strips of mature trees are doomed to die relatively soon - something to keep in mind when you buy near one, thinking you'll always have that sense of privacy. The natural forests have smaller understory trees at their edges that serve to protect the larger trees mainly from wind. The trees that are left behind are left exposed and start to fail rather quickly. In the 2 years we were in this new apt. complex, it started to become dangerous near the trees because so many were falling down.

[GraniteStater]

This is a very important issue in the Plains where you often have strong winds.
Windbreaks are often important even for a house.
Some good trees people plant include:
Juniper
Cedar
White Pine
Norway Spruce

Other important issues revolve around cookie cutter developments in the KC metro area. In the outer exurban areas they do not leave many trees at all, and many of the subdivisions were built on former corn fields. Other older housing developments in the inner ring suburbs have more mature trees and some homes were built among some of the existing trees. During the building boom in this metro in the 1950s-1970s the favored trees included the pin oak, red oak, silver maple, sweet-gum, sycamore, elm, white pine, ash, and red maple. You actually can get a good diversity of tree types in certain areas.

[recycled]

Here in southern california, developers typically level everything out of the way before beginning construction. They bring in an army of earth moving equipment and don't like anything getting in the way of the heavy armor. I noticed something interesting in a nearby former Marine Base that is the next target of large scale development, once we get past this current phase of economic instability. There is a "mature trees in a giant barrel" storage area containing a small forest of mature trees that have been moved from various parts of the former Marine Base, before the heavy earth moving equipment moves in. Each of the hundreds of mature trees in this tree storage area has been placed in a giant barrel, and is awaiting a new home in a new development neighborhood. That way the $800K homes in the new neighborhoods will have some instant mature trees around to give the neighborhoods a more natural look instead of that virgin tract landscape look. Next time I go by the tree storage lot I'll snap a pic and post here.

[mojow]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

Here's a view of the old farmhouse (the farm is still in moderate use) from my studio. The trees on the right are all apples.



Here's a view from my studio to the man-made pond:



We had a wonderful Great Blue Heron visit this summer and a friendly Moose or three walked by me on a few warm days.

And here's my studio tucked in between all the green foliage, now brown:

I love this!