I don't have a garden, or not much of one, and anyway, what there is has no road frontage whatsoever.

However, some friends run a tearooms and keep chickens at a place not too far away that is situated on a country lane that is often used as a 'rat run' to get to a nearby city rather than use the often clogged main route. Over the winter they noticed that a large Leylandii between their car park and the road was showing signs of lifting the car park in strong winds, so it had to come down as sooner or later it was going to fall on a nearby building!

I carve normally in the yard of a tree surgeon who has a house in our village that has a tall carving in the garden and many customers come into the yard and mention that they have seen it and all comments are complimentary, but of course, I have to admit that it is not my carving and the credit must go to the tree surgeon. ( although I have done some maintenance on it)  

Long story short, I got my tree surgeon pal to cut the tree down to a height that I marked on it and volunteered to carve the trunk(s). My friends at the tea room had only one request, that whatever I carved had to be 'Fun'.  I've done a number of 'on site' carvings, but always to a brief set by the clients. This one is so much different, as I have a complete free rein to do whatever I like, as long as it is fun.

I am carving this in what I loosely refer to as my 'free time' which basically means the occasional weekend/Sunday, and that is also weather dependant. I therefore anticipate that it will take most of the summer months.

These images are the tree after crown removal, followed by a couple taken after a couple of sessions at the top of a scaffold tower which needs removing at the end of each session. I'll keep you updated as I progress with it.