I would think any tree is much too big for the space you have. Most crabs get quite wide as they mature, 30 + feet. I would definitely stick to smaller shrubs, though you might consider a Heptacodium miconioides, Seven Son Flower. This multi-stemmed tree tends to stay pretty narrow. It blooms in late summer followed by colorful red calyxes. The shaggy bark is interesting all winter. It grows very fast, so don't pay a fortune for a big specimen.

I'd mention a dwarf river birch about 12x12 mature size. Doesn't have showy flowers but the peeling park and will give you some privacy. The birds like the dense branching and it doesn't look half bad in winter. Only thing is I have no idea where youre located. Some more suggestions may come if you reveal that key info.

Also the exposure of the area - North, South? And is it windy?

It looks as though the neighboring house has some sort of birch clump in front of it, so you might want to repeat that, or be different. It's a little far to see clearly, but I think I see a whitish trunked clump of 3 growing beyond the far drive, in the bottom photo.

If there is room, plant some trees which will grow 20-30 feet tall behind your house. If you plant any trees there with spreading canopies, then make certain to raise the canopy above your gutter line or even slightly higher. Make certain they are either broadleaf or needle leaf evergreens or semi evergreens.

On the sides of the house plant items which have the potential to grow from 10 to 18 feet tall. or which just reach slightly above your gutter line.

Above all avoid trees and shrubs which grow into huge wide spreaders. In the front yard keep the potential spread of your trees and shrubs more narrow than 5 feet. For the height keep the tallest features no higher than 10 feet. In a way the tree you have planted already, appears that it already is close to the best maximum height of tree which can enhance the look of the house.

Most of the major tree and shrub items you select for the front yard should be dwarf cultivars.

Since your house dominates the size of your lot, focus more on the overall look you create, rather than simply focusing on the front yard only. Most birch trees grow entirely too large for your front yard area. Only plant those if you intend to take them out before they get the chance to grow taller than 10 feet.

For me to begin making specific suggestions, I need to know what light exposure your front yard receives. Does it face East?

Also, in what USDA temp. zone is your lot located.

You should also geteven better suggestions if you post this question, more specific details, along with your photos on the Landscaper's forum

Once you get settled with the landscape design that will enhance the look of your house, then consider changing the color of your house to a subtle shade which gives it the look of blending in with the landscape's color shades.

The entry door can then be painted a dramatic, inviting color, which also enhances the look of the entry foundation planting features you design. On both sides of the entry plant intersting shrubs that are narrow and sentry-like, and that are almost as tall as your planned front corners' tallest elements

Wow thanks for all the suggestions, I was worried there would not be enough room for a tree in the small bed and I knew I was pushing it with the crabapple but decided to go ahead and keep it pruned well each year. I hope that is not a mistake?

We don't have any more room in the back to plant trees sadly.:(

We are planning on painting the house a sandy beige color with cream trim and a dark green front door.:)

Our house is VERY plain and that is why we are adding the gabled roof for the front porch. That might help give it a tad character.

So a large (taller) shrub is a better bet on that small bed side? We are in zone 5 in eastern Oregon. The front of the house faces east so it gets morning sun and late afternoon shade eventually. It is not usually windy as the house breaks the wind.

Thanks for the replies so far!!!

Here are a couple ideas I was mulling over.

This is a carnival maple I LOVE LOVE LOVE variegated leaves and I have always loved the shape of maple leaves as well so this one is a possibility the only problem is price for the size but it almost seems worth waiting for to grow!! (link at the bottom)

Another is the Golden Chain tree (which I am sure most are familiar with.

Then the serviceberry I really love the canopy form of this one but I think maybe this is not how MOST of them form??? Anyway here is the pic that made me fall in love with it, the multi twisting trunks and a canopy

http://www.naturehills.com/new/product/productdetails.aspx?proname=Serviceberry

Are there any other types of trees that have similar form as this pic of a service berry yet have a compact size as well?

PS..... do you think the royalty crabapple will really get 30ft? It said 15-20 ft tall by 15ft wide......I was thinking we'd let it eventually get about 15ft tall and 15 ft wide??? Should I move it to the back of the property and start over in the front? I LOVE that tree and thought it would do fine there but if everyone thinks I shouldn't place it there I can think about moving it before it is established?????

As far as a large shrub it does not have to bloom, I really love burning bushes even with their summer foliage that pretty green foliage is a nice backdrop to other things and since I have a japanese maple there maybe that would be enough, or even a grouping of 3 burning bushes? I was just thinking something with a graceful canopy (maybe even a dogwood except in this area we need to acidify the soil which has proven to be difficult with my blueberry bed) and multi trunks or something so I could plant other things under it in dappled shade???

Thanks again

Here is a link that might be useful: Carnival maple

Jules, on looking again, I see it's a trellis and not trunks in the photo, so ignore that.

Look up the tree you have on Google, to be sure of the mature height. You may have to limb it up a bit as it grows, if only to allow room for your car to park under it - if that's your car in the foreground of the photo. But, if that's what the tag said, it may be right - it may also be the assumed height at 10 years.

JMs like a slightly acid soil, so you may want to amend the soil in that planting bed now - get a soil test first so you don't overdo it - not one of the home ones, as they aren't too reliable.

It looks as though the corner of the porch and the corner of the house will be about 19-20' from the tree(s), so that should be your limiting factor on width. Otherwise, resign yourself to limbing up whatever you get. You may end up doing that anyway, just so you can walk under it/them.

The 'Carnival' maple does sound attractive - if pricey. You might, if Wayside doesn't have an exclusive right to it, find it closer to home.

I would pass on the burning bush - it has become an invasive in parts of the country. If you can't resist it, then get only one and resign yourself to a lot of trimming - they can grow to 8-10' x 10-12'. As a round ball, they look like all the other round balls - ugly, IMO.

If you are thinking about a Laburnum waterii as the Goldenchain tree, be aware that the seeds are poisonous, so if you have small kids, you might pass. Koereutia paniculata, the other with that common name, gets pretty tall, as does the first - 20-35'.

Dogwoods (pagoda, or other species), viburnums (limbed up), serviceberry, redbuds, smoke tree, speckled alder, musclewood, fringe tree are all possibilities, to name a few. The dwarf river birch also sounds nice.

To get a serviceberry to look like that you'd probably want one of the shrubby ones like 'Autumn Brillance'. Part of keeping it like that is some thoughtful pruning from time to time (not even every year, just as needed).

Fringe tree (I think the native one, chionanthus virginicus) is unusual looking if you want a specimen tree. Since the other tree is burgundy colored, are you open to all sorts of things?

Redbud was mentioned, 'Silver cloud' is a variegated cultivar: http://www.songsparrow.com/2007new/plantdetails.cfm?ID=518&type=Woody%20Plants&pagetype=plantdetails

Here is a link that might be useful: Fringe tree

Acer palmatum Koto-no-ito is a nice form and would fit in that space well. Ginkgo Chase Manhattan is dwarf form that would also work. If you like conifers you could also go with one of the following narrow forms: Picea Glauca Pendula,Bush's Lace,Picea Omorika Berliners, Bruns or Gotelli weeping. All will get tall but are very narrow. I like Picea Glauca Penula the best as is seems the most formal and uniform. David

I do really LOVE conifers and I really like weeping habits on those. I will have to keep an eye out for some in my area because so far all they seem to have is about a 4ft weeping juniper maybe (kinda greyish in color and looks sickly the only reason it is upright is due to the stake etc) and I have something a little more substantial in mind richer color and stronger main trunk.
I was thinking as I was looking up the suggestions, I thought it would be good to have an evergreen there to give some winter interest. I think I will keep looking for some great choices in conifers as well as shrubs/bushes. I am still thinking if I EVER found a carnival maple I'd probably get it, but I won't order it sight unseen for $70 mail order.....

I also had one other thought to run by everyone....possibly instead of a tree for height should I do a neat driftwood stump or something more hardscape and then a lower growing shrub (that would give winter structure but not be in the way and won't have to worry about height and spread) possibly plant a clematis to climb up it for color interest? Just an idea I guess.

We love to go for drives and look for cool stumps or things that have garden architectural interest.

More things to mull over, any suggestions from here?

You could always plant a different species of Jap. Maple. Also I would think that laceleaf that you planted will more than likely get taller and wider than you think.

I really like the idea of a serviceberry in this spot. I recently posted a serviceberry question in this forum and I've done a lot of research on them recently. There are many different varieties of serviceberries, including some dwarf varieties like 'Prince William' which my nursery told me grows to a max of about 8' T x 6' W. Even if they grow larger, I'm told they can be pruned every couple of years to help contain the growth, they are large shrubs that become tree-like after all. I think a serviceberry would give you the best 3 season intrest with flowers in the spring, berries in the summer, and pretty foliage in the fall that would look nice against your light house color. The bare tree is a nice sculptural accent in the winter. All of this and you would also have entertainment from the birds as they fly in and gobble up the berries while you sit on your porch! They're edible for people too although birds almost always will beat you to them. The roots of a serviceberry are not invasive so you can plant anything you like under and around a serviceberry without trouble. Being planted so close to your house it's good to know the roots will not damage foundations either.

I don't suggest a Korean Spice Viburnum as the main focal point of the bed because I have several and although they bloom and smell beautiful, the rest of the year they are rather boring - just green.

Redbuds are ok but again, they don't have any berries for the birds so after flowering you're left with just green. Keep in mind you probably won't get to enjoy very early blooming trees too much as they often bloom so early it's still chilly to be outside.

I also wouldn't recommend the maple (any maple really) because you have so little room and maple roots ultimately become a real pain. They will take over and make it difficult if not impossible for you to plant under them. I don't know if you've ever tried to dig a bed under a maple but it's impossible, ask anyone who's ever tried it! Maple roots can also be invasive to foundations and this bed is very close to your home. Seven Son Flower is pretty but I honestly don't know much about it so I can't comment.

I am all for any Ginkgo as they are one of my favorite trees! I find the leaf shape highly ornamental and there are varigated varieties for lots of color. The fall color can't be beat! There are many dwarf varieties. If you like something different try looking at Song Sparrow's web site: www.songsparrow.com they have lots of interesting things including Ginkgos, just type in Ginkgo in the search bar and you'll see them all. I've included a link to the page of a favorite of mine below.

Best of luck,
G.O.

Here is a link that might be useful: GINKGO BILOBA 'MAJESTIC BUTTERFLY'

If you are looking for Acer C. Carnival check with Whitman farms in Oregon. She grows them in root bags so they are generally larger that what you would get mail order from other places. Here in Ohio my Carnival has not done well but others I have talked to said their's is doing fine. David

Another thought I had was that the area is not terribly large. Between the crabapple already there and the JM, you have 2 trees with colored leaves. It may look VERY busy to have a variegated tree like the Carnival in the mix. I think I would go with a plain vanilla green tree - which could encompass all the shades of green, and any number of shapes, both in leaf and in the winter! A goldy green could work also, I just think a two-color variegation might be too much.

Redbud has a branch structure that I find interesting in winter, and I happen to like the leaves. Highbush cranberry - Viburnum trilobum - has red berries, edible if you beat the birds to them, as do any number of other viburnums - V. prunifolium, lentago, etc.. Many have good fall color as well, so see what's available. With some, you can get fragrant flowers, berries AND fall color, and if it's only 2 out of 3, that's not too shabby either. They are shrubby, most of them, but most can be limbed up into small trees.

Double check with any of the smaller conifers as to what color they turn in winter - some are attractive, and some turn to what is a dead-seeming and boring brown (IMO). I don't think there are many small weeping conifers - most of the weeping ones I know will end up as very large trees.

And a sculpture as a focal point could be good too, with something lower planted nearby. All up to you - it's your yard!

We still don't know where OP is, do we?

Yes, eastern Oregon. Probably coastal, since she want to make a driftwood sculpture....