At the outset I must say that I actually love trees. Not in a ‘greenie’ or conservationist sort of way but I just like the look of them and the way they grow and evolve over the years. To me the stark clean look of a modern apartment building for example has a certain appeal, but not as a place I would wish to call my home.
Trees become like old friends and you remember when they were first planted and what size they were at important times in your life… they become permanent reminders of your connection with the place your family lives. But like some other dear old friends they have their ‘interesting’ habits that you would prefer they didn’t but perhaps the idiosyncrasies are part of the attraction or more likely we simply choose to ignore them.
Obviously, there are the leaves. Anyone with even a few large trees on their property will tell you the regular ‘dividends’ have to be raked, collected and bagged in order to maintain appearances and if you have quite a few it can become a real chore sometimes requiring outside help.
Then, there are the roots. For some reason no matter where they are planted trees have some innate ability to sniff out long forgotten drains and insert their tentacles in any available joint or opening. This non-endearing characteristic can stuff up swimming pools, block drains of all sizes and generally make an expensive nuisance of itself and end up just about anywhere, including the neighbour’s property.
Size always matters as they say. And in terms of blocking views or upsetting non-residents this is usually the biggie in the problem stakes. Certainly the number of cases that end up in court involving this issue would suggest property owners would be well served to consider the possibility of future litigation when planting fast growing species. Of course size often relates to lack of regular pruning or simply planting the wrong type for the particular position.
Bush fires are an issue in most suburban areas; and trees are fuel after all. Having said that, to remove all trees is not an option any thinking person would consider in the 21st century. But letting bush or vegetation creep up against the sides of a dwelling in areas subject to bush fires is a dangerous practice and should not be tolerated.
Storm damage. Speaking from recent personal experience I can say that large trees, no matter how stable in appearance, can become problematic under adverse weather conditions and although simple precautions can help, unexpected or unusually high winds can still cause havoc – fortunately that’s why we have insurance.
Having said all that I can always sit on my back veranda and look out over a lush green expanse of gums and natives, which to my eyes are more appealing than any expensive artwork you could buy… and I’m doing my bit for the environment! | 
