Anyone might share some suggestions or ideas?

Luis, in this case, I'd just get rid of it. You are correct-it's in a poor spot. And as a relatively inexpensive plant, probably not worth any heroic efforts to transplant-unless you really want to.

And you wont even kill it, in a technical sense, as it probably is a clone. It will live on in countless other gardens.

I could get enough of it out to save it if I was motivated to do so.

You'd have to get as much of the root mass as possible, water it daily, and I'd even rig some temporary shade using stakes, burlap, and clothespins until it got on it's feet again.

Not saying it's worth saving, but if you are one who hates to kill anything and have a spot it would work in it could be done. There is a certain satisfaction in rescuing something from a dire situation and seeing it thrive somewhere else.

get rid of it ...

in my world... cut to the ground.. it isnt worth the labor of digging it ... definitely not the labor of digging to move it ....

with that nice wall... and no foot room ... i would think trellis and vines ... for vertical impact ... and some lower plants to hide the stump ..

ken

Thanks everyone. I think I will take the advice to ditch the tree and start anew. I was hoping perhaps to keep it since it is already big (I'm sure this was planted when it was small.) Don't like killing plants unless I have to.

I tried digging it a bit, but I simply do not have enough space to maneuver the digging bar along the tiled walkway. Not without damaging it (and for that I might as well dig it). Once cut, I think I can dig the stump out.

A trellis covered with mandevilla or climbing fig sounds like a good option.

Thanks!

The plant in question is really a Platycladus rather than an arborvitae and these tend to be more or less squat but quite rounded articles, easily wider than the space provided. Pruning at ground level with these is sufficient to do them in - no regrowth from the stump.

Once it's cut down, you should be able to tackle some of the stump and remaining root system yourself - picks and saws can do wonders!! And you will need to get rid of some of that if you hope to replant in that location anytime soon.

Yup-was noticing that too. Luis, I'm about the biggest arborvitae fan around-although I do hate some cultivars with a passion-lol-and even I'm saying get rid of it. It's just not useful where it is.

Well, I learned something new today :) Yes, it is a Platycladus (thuja orientalis). Here in South Florida, that's what they sell as "Arborvitae". I didn't know these were different from (what I know know is) the western/American Arborvitae. :)