Totally unexpected

Ok, maybe some of you have been where I am right now.

We have two neighbors who live on the street behind ours and they decided to have some trees cut down. Our back yard, which (up until now) has been nearly fully shaded, now has considerably more light than before. I know they didn't have to ask me first before cutting down their trees, but it certainly will affect my plants. I have nearly all shade plants in the back yard and one hosta bed is getting so much light now that I think I'll have to move everything come next spring. Once summer hits down here, they probably won't make it.

Has anyone else ever experienced this kind of frustration?

Well, I am sorry for you, but at least once I can be happy about my not so hot hosta-friendly climate... :)

Why don't you plant some nice tree near the Hostas now? =)

My grandmother has just the opposite situation. She would love to grow irises and daylilies, but the neighbor's evergreens shade her property so much that it's impossible. He cut one down last year, and she did the happy dance when I gave her some irises for that area.

When my neighbor girl burnt my garage down without asking me it really hurt my garden.

We have many trees in our neighborhood that are original forest-growth. A few years ago, a newcomer bought a house a block away and promptly cut down 15 of the mature trees. This caused that type of major disruption to the neighbors as you describe. It has also added impetus to have a new law put in our city's code requiring permits to cut down any native tree bigger than a certain size. That hasn't passed yet, but is still being debated.

It is so common to deplore the deforestation going on in the tropical parts of the world; yet we in America routinely do the same thing: deforest our own property.

Smilin, I would be thrilled to send you saplings (oak, hickory, American elm, ash, wild black cherry, etc), but I fear it would be at least a decade before any are big enough to shade your hostas enough to prevent their being burned to a crisp.

Ever hear DONT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF>..ITs ALL SMALL STUFF??
Same thing applies here. Maybe you can move your plants around to a new location of trade them off here with someone. Time to rebirth that garden and try NEW things that you maybe have never tired. Things have a way of working out. It might take a few years from you to realize that like it did me. but. it will be FINE! I lost half my badk yard, a out building, and $$$ to neighbors. you lost a few plants. Things out of our control. Now , you have an GOOD REASON to go to the green house and get all this really fun stuff! What could be better than a shopping trip to the greenhouse??? And you just HAVE to buy them cuz of what happened! One Plant at a Time. :) Have Fun! it will be Spring before ya know it. :)

Adding trees to the yard would be great except that we are military and will likely be moving again in less than a year. I'm thinking about taking out a lot of the hostas and planting them at my parent's house in IL. I'll have to learn about part sun/part shade plants now instead of full shade. At least I'll stretch myself as a gardener.

How about some screens like they sell for room dividers in the stores. I made one out of old doors (salvaged from a remodel project) one time that looked great out in the garden. Three old doors at angles to each other held together with hinges and held in place by fence posts. Or some fast growing vines like silver lace vine would shade a lot in a hurry. Or put up some old swing sets, take off the swings, attach lattice on the back and sides and grow vines over them to shade the hostas. OR you could send the hostas to me and I will give them a good home until you have a place of your own! (I like that idea the best!) :>) Lani

Plant some castor beans,they get HUGE in one season and have large tropical leaves you can use for shading the plants

I lost a huge sacamore out front 4 years ago (storm damage); it is replaced be a sunset maple. I do appreciate the chance to grow 'other' plant types. A mature Norway spruce was cut down 1 year ago next to the house; lost much needed shade, but acquired a vegetable garden and a lot less roots to deal with.

In the back are: Norway spruce; Norway maple; silver maple. All with extensive root systems. It is difficult to add plantings as it takes a pick to break through the ground. Let alone the water these 3 take up in the summer. I have read of the silver maple taking up to 57 gallons an hour in hot conditions. Would love to remove all three (too expensive) and replace them with 'user friendly' trees with less extensive root systems.

But this is the nature of the beast. This is why the garden is always in transition. This is why it is so enjoyable.

What a bummer, Carla! I like the idea of a pergola or some other shade structure(s). Boy, nothing like having to wing it! At least they didn't cut them down in the heat of summer - then you'd really have been in a pickle!

Pawlonia.