It's certainly possible to add shrubs. Some random considerations: Tree roots generally extend well beyond the drip line. Of the trees already on your property, the maple has the most agressive and shallow roots, so you will want to avoid planting close here. Oaks are easier to plant near as the roots are deeper and less agressive. Ashes fall somewhere between the two extremes - probably closer to maple than oak. The condition of the grass near the trees should provide a good clue. If it is sparse and struggling you can be sure the tree roots are competing for water and nutrients. Choose vigorous varieties of shrubs adapted to the site - your County Extension Service or a good nursery can be of great help in choosing.

hi the bed you have there now.. is not even big enough to put a ladder in there to wash windows or do anything else .... i would suggest you triple the size of the bed.. so that 1/3 is left blank..AFTER the plants mature ... we have not seen the whole house.. but it looks multi-story.. and your bed.. as it is.. is not in proportion to the height of the house ... and that might be why you are struggling to conceptualize .... do grasp.. that foundation plantings.. are planted to HIDE the foundation.. NOT ON THE FOUNDATION ... it is one of the greatest errors made by the homeowner ... with that simply thought in mind.. just walk the 'hood'.. and see if you can start spotting.. who has done it right.. and who put all those cute little potted plants 2 feet from the brick.. and now have problematic monster ... the solution to that corner .. is either back in that triangle behind.. unless there is a gate there ... or about 10 feet towards the camera .. in the lawn ... again.. you are focusing at the foundation of the corner... to make the corner disappear.. from where you took the pic.. does NOT mean ... you plant ON THE CORNER ... get out of the box you have placed yourself in ... good luck ken

I also have seen reports that 'Smaragd' Emerald Green do not go brown in the winter. There are some other arborvitae cultivars which are reported to brown in the winter. That person may have gotten the Emerald greens confused with those cultivars. It, also, could be that in your area the Smaragds get so stressed in the winter that they do turn brown. I have a screen of thuja 'Green Giants' which all winter stay a nice color for me situated on the north side of our neighbor's two story house. But my friend has a 3 foot high row of the same cultivar of my trees planted along the south side of her 7 foot tall privacy fence. Her trees while they were trying to get established did change color last year. Not exactly brown, but more of a burgundy shade. They greened back up the following spring and summer, and we are still waiting to see if hers will stay green over the coming winter.

There are a few issues to think about before you plant this tree. The first is that don't want to amend the soil in the planting hole too much so that it is a lot different in composition from the surrounding soil. It this happens, then the root system of the tree will not grow out into the surrounding soil as readily because all of the good stuff is in the planting hole. You essentially create a potted plant in this scenario. When you plant a tree, you don't want to fertilize with anything high in nitrogen (like rabbit manure). That will encourage canopy growth without a root system to support it. For fruit trees, this can also encourage disease and attract pests. Your pH is probably not an issue because fruit trees like slightly acidic soil which is abundant here in New England. If anything, you may have to add some limestone to raise the pH if it's a little too low. The one thing that you have that I would suggest mixing with the dirt of the planting hole is the compost. It is usually high in both phosphorus and potassium which are both key for a healthy, growing root system and these two elements are essential for flowering plants. Just don't get too carried away with this because of the issue that I mentioned earlier about making the hole more inviting than the surrounding soil. The second issue at hand here is the fact that this tree is not grafted. You are gambling with this situation. Fruit trees are grafted for several reasons. It controls their growth and eventual size, their cold hardiness, their bloom time and you know what cultivar of fruit you are going to be getting. If this tree was grown from seed then you don't know any of these things. You also don't know if this tree will fruit best with a pollinator nearby. You may have a new variety of peach that is the best-tasting ever or you may have a tree that's a read dud that hardly produces fruit and what little it does produce tastes horrible. You just don't know.