Looking for brownie points (can you get those as a bloke?!) I did the reverse and spent easter bank holiday a couple of years back tearing up our frontage of crazy paving and 20 billion inch concrete sub-base with a pick-axe and sledge hammer. I now have a lovely green front garden but sadly not the ridiculous muscles that the weekend of graft temporarily gave me.
A man after me own heart! I have just done the same thing. I now have a lovely (mostly brown - I've run out of money to buy plants!) front garden instead of the helipad that was there when we moved in.
Back to trees, i noticed that Lewisham Council have recently planted some nice new trees in Mayow Road. I have enquired about whether there are plans to plant any in Perry Vale (a long road, with i think not a single street tree), but I am told there are no plans. Something else for the meeting on 2 June....