I contacted an arborist about my weeping cherry tree that is too large for its space. She took a look and concurred, adding that there could be possible root damage, indicated by something black at the base of the trunk just above the soil line. It also has a large split that runs from the ground up to where the major branches begin to spread out.
We decided it would be counter-productive to spend time and money to drastically prune it back as it would require this kind of attention every year to keep it small. Is a tree service you could recommend, reputable as well as reasonable in their pricing.
I have removed many perennials from the area I care about and relocated to other areas temporarily until the upheaval of having the tree out, and I assume the roots out, too, is over with.
Can you recommend a small ornamental tree that does well in more shade than sun? The little area the current tree is in faces north; it only receives direct sun the latter part of the afternoon, and then, some of that is filtered eventually by other trees. The soil is pretty good, not well-draining, but not clay either. This is where I grow lots of hostas, toad lily, ferns, astilbe, heuchera, columbine, sweet woodruff and sedums. - D.B. -

Here are some top-of-the-head ideas. Let's see if some of the other designers in our Moderator team and Membership have ideas to add.
Well, now that I wrote "ideas" I realize I have more questions than ideas.
Question one. Why a tree, there? Not a single tree I can think of other than a dwarf Japanese maple, one of the green weeping laceleaf types, will stay in scale in that space. And the maples will end up looking like shrubs without regular pruning with an eye to sculpting them as small trees...
That space speaks to me of tree-like shrubs, species that are not at the upper end of "large" in shrub-dom, at that. A nicely formed Clethra. A well branched panicle hydrangea that doesn't have too heavy a flower, like Tardiva. I'm imagining things with light colored bark and flowers, to stand out in front of the brick.
But since I don’t know "why a tree" I can't go much further, yet.
Maybe someone else who looks at this won't have the block I do, and start us down another track!
Oh - an arborist to take the tree down. Why an arborist? It's not something that requires knowing the tree but a manual labor thing. A gardener and a saw can take this tree down.
Janet