DBilicki

Thanks all, for your ideas about how to handle my too big weeping cherry. I don't have a photo yet to post but will follow up with one. Last weekend, we cut the tree down. There is still a stump larger than I would like, but we were having chain saw issues. Will try soon to take it down closer to the ground. Regardless, for this summer at least, I am planning to put a nice, colorful pot on the stump, as someone recommended, maybe including an interesting taller grass along with a couple of "fillers" and "spillers; colors that will show it up in that mostly shady courtyard. Last fall, in anticipation of removing the tree, I moved all my hostas, astilbes and heucheras to another location to overwinter. I have moved back the majority of them, also placing a tall white phlox toward the front of the bed against the wall, behind the dwarf alberta spruce and the bench, where it will receive the most sun. It seemed to want something taller there. The plan is to find something to replace the tree later this season when I should be able to snag something at half price, probably a pannicle hydrangea as Janet suggests. Unless I stumble upon something else that might work in that little sun area. This weekend I'll get some good shots of how the bed looks now and post them. Thanks again everyone!

Hmm, I like the container idea. I also like the idea of just cutting the stump as close to the ground as possible and just letting nature take its course, that would eliminate the chaos that would ensue if we tried to chop it out of the ground. I can picture the rose espaliered on that wall but there isn't enough sunlight in that spot. Only the very last sun of the day reaches it, and there are many trees it ends up being filtered through. Thanks for the ideas.

Good point, I guess we could take the tree down ourselves. But what about the large roots that lie partway above the surface of the soil? And the rootball? Is this a situation when you would have someone come in with a stump grinder? Not sure how that works. Wouldn't that totally mess up the soil in that garden bed? Would appreciate comments from anyone who has had experience with this.

Well, the trellis is technically visible from the side yard, the street and from my neighbor's yard. I can't see it from any window or door inside the house, however. So even something with winter interest would be good. Yes, it gets full sun, sometime around noon to early afternoon the sun is on it for the rest of the day.