Norfolk Tree Service

You don't really know what you're dealing with on a cedar removal until you walk the property. So that's where we started on this Wellesley job — boots on the ground, looking at how the old cedars were leaning, what was overhead, and what the homeowner actually wanted the yard to look like when we were done.

The call came in from a residential customer in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Their row of mature cedars had reached the end of the road. Some were dying back at the top, others were thinning out at the base, and the whole line was past its prime. The homeowner wanted them gone, the stumps ground out, and four new Green Giant arborvitae planted in their place. We knocked the whole job out same-day.

Why the Old Cedars Had to Come Down

Cedars in eastern Massachusetts can hang on for decades, but once they start losing color from the inside out and the lower branches go brittle, replacement usually beats trimming. Wind, road salt drift, and shifting drainage all wear on older privacy cedars over time. The trees on this property had served their job for years — they just weren't holding the screen anymore, and that's why the homeowner reached out to us at Norfolk Tree Service.

Before we touched a saw, our crew walked the line with the homeowner, talked through the drop zones, and flagged anything to protect — the lawn, the irrigation heads, and the neighbor's fence on the far side. We've found that the ten minutes spent planning a Wellesley removal saves an hour of cleanup at the end.

Taking the Cedars Down

The cedars came down in controlled sections rather than getting felled whole. With mature evergreens this close to a house and property line, you don't get to swing for the fences — every cut is planned. One climber up top with ropes, two ground crew handling the brush, and a chipper running on the driveway. By midday the line was clear and we had a clean view to the back of the property.

Stump Grinding and Site Prep

After the trees were down, we ground every stump well below grade so the homeowner could replant in the same line without root interference. Stump grinding is honestly the part most homeowners don't think about until they try to put a shovel in the ground six months later — leaving root flares and old wood behind makes the next planting fight for space. We hauled the chips, raked the area smooth, and left the bed ready for the new plantings.

Replanting with Four Green Giant Arborvitae

Green Giant arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata 'Green Giant') is one of the best privacy replacements we recommend in Wellesley and the surrounding Norfolk County towns. They grow fast — often three feet a year in the right conditions — stay green through New England winters, resist deer pressure better than most evergreens, and tolerate the clay-heavy soils we see in this part of Massachusetts. The homeowner went with four, spaced out so the screen will fill in within a few seasons without crowding.

We planted them in fresh soil, set the root flares at the right depth, mulched with a saucer ring (no volcano mulching — that's a pet peeve around here), and walked the homeowner through watering for the first year.

Need a Cedar or Privacy Tree Removed in Wellesley, MA?

If you have aging cedars, arborvitae, or hemlocks losing their screen on your Wellesley property — or anywhere in Norfolk County and the Greater Boston area — we can help. Norfolk Tree Service is a locally owned, fully licensed and insured tree care company based in Waltham, MA. Our crews handle tree removal, stump grinding, and tree and shrub planting — and we run our own crews, no subcontractors.

We received a call from the client to remove a leaning oak tree towards the house.

The customer called to remove a decaying maple tree

Switched gears for this one, tree planting job over in Dedham, MA. The homeowner wanted some privacy along the property line and a little color to mix things up, so we went with a combo of Green Giants and Golden Cypress. Green Giants are about as good as it gets for privacy, fast growers, stay green year-round, and fill in thick. The Golden Cypress brings that nice golden-yellow tone that really pops next to the deep green. We laid out the spacing, dug each hole, got the trees in, and gave them a good first watering. In a few seasons, this homeowner is going to have a full natural privacy wall with a little extra character. If you're thinking about tree planting in Dedham, MA, this combo is worth a look.

Out in Newton, MA, this week for a shrub and tree removal job. The homeowner wanted to clear out some overgrown shrubs and a couple of trees that had outgrown their spots. We worked our way through the property, took down the trees first, then got after the shrubs, roots and all. Hauled everything off, raked the beds clean, and left the yard looking wide open. Shrub and tree removal in Newton is a regular call for us, so if your property's feeling a little crowded, you know where to find us.

This Norwood, MA homeowner had big plans, a new garage going up on the property, and a few decaying oaks were standing right where they needed to go. Honestly, even without the garage, those trees were due. You could see the rot setting in, and it was only a matter of time before they came down on their own terms. We got the crew out, rigged what needed rigging, dropped what we could safely drop, and worked our way through each one. Stumps got ground down flush, so nothing's in the way of the new build. Cleaned the site up and handed it back, ready for the next phase.