In article , Katharine
Mill writes
Andrew Hargreaves wrote in message news:odf1gvsfboc5t02q
...
I would now like
to replace it with some sort of small tree.

Hello Andrew
Mr T-marsh recommends crabapple trees for small gardens as they have
good blossom, fruits and a nice skeletal shape in winter. I'd plant
one in my tiny garden myself were it not for the ancient lilac which
currently dominates and which I hope will soon die (flowers all at the
top and too high to prune).

Assuming your lilac has several 'trunks' try taking one of them out at
the bottom. This will generate lots of shoots low down, which won't
flower in the first year but should start flowering the next year. Then
you can take out another trunk, and so on until all the trunks have
gone, and you have a lilac flowering at a decent height.

Of course, then you are stuck with the lilac and will never get your
crab ;-)
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm