The size desired limits you to certain maples, some crabs, and perhaps a few larger growing shrubs, such as viburnum.

Height of trunk is a variable factor that you determine. Gone are the days, thankfully, of having to watch people agonize over which 5' tall maple had the best branching.

Size of planter...i may go as small as three by three by two and a half feet...IF well insulated...that's an interior dimension. Bigger is better.

If a little larger size is acceptable, the number of varieties opens up. Hardiness is more limiting...specifically the ability to handle extremes if temperature...from really hot in summer to extended freeze\thaw cycles in winter.

As the plants get larger, maintenance becomes more of an issue...specifically water in summer as the root mass becomes larger. Installation of a system to automate watering is not a bad thing to consider. Also, certain plant types that may like cooler summer conditions may be able to be considered...such as redbud.

Where in MA are you...cuz the Berkshires would enable certain plant types and Boston would have a bit more to choose from.

As an odd thought...what would you say to a dwarf ginko?

@strobiculate:

Crabs would be great (so long as they don't produce fruit). Would all varieties work fine?

Viburnum could work. It's a white fence though...do they come in other colors? Also, do they get tall enough?

Maples are less ideal because of the leaves.

On the planter size, the largest I can do is 6'x5' tops. As far as height...the shorter the better, but if it 3.5' it wouldn't be the end of the world. Does that help at all?

I'm about 45 minutes west of the city and an hour east of the Berkshires.

@ken_adrian:

I want shallow rooted because some of the planter will be covering stone patio. Also it will be above pool pipes, hence the planter to begin with.

Not ideal on the cleaning front, but I want something taller than the fence to block out some neighbor windows. If there's anything better you recommend, I'm all ears.

i would have to eyeball the situation.. to make any recommendations ...

i am not aware of a fruitless crab ..

ken

Plastic, that is about the only kind of tree that doesn't need roots, doesn't produce fruit, doesn't drop leaves, doesn't require care in some manner of that environment. Otherwise, a gazebo of some sort, or something similar.

Trees are biological organisms, that have needs that must be meet. They shed, drop, and are generally messy. Just like all other biological entities.

Arktrees

I'd seriously consider some non-hardy plant, a tropical something or other, which would be moved indoors during the winter. If you have the ability to do so, you could end up with something quite interesting around your pool, without having to worry so much about the deep freeze of containerized soil.

Maybe something like a banana.......er maybe not!

+oM

@arktrees:

Thanks, but I never gave those list of requirements. Saying I don't want large sugar Maple tree leaves doesn't mean that all trees that have leaves are ruled out (if it did, I wouldn't have made a post to begin with). Saying I don't want Crab Apples falling doesn't mean all trees that produce any type of fruit at all are ruled out.

If a Japanese Maple could survive in a planter box, that would be great. Likewise, if a cherry tree (preferably fruitless) could survive in a planter box, that would be great too. Pear trees would also be great. There are many varieties that would be wonderful. I'm personally just not sure which ones would do ok in a raised planter box/bed, and which ones would not.

@wisconsitom:

I would, but anything the height I'm talking wouldn't be possible to move indoors. Otherwise I'd love to just to bring in the tropical look to my pool yard.

Crabapples come in 600+ varieties. Several are known for a trait called persistence, where the fruit is retained for multiple seasons to years. Sugar Tyme comes to mind.

Jap maple should work. The more I learn about them, thw morw I come to believe that not all varieties are as hardy as others. Also worth of consideration are the closely related species...there are several. I could list them, but no list is ever complete and makes no difference if you can't locate what you want anyway. And there are several dwarf varieties of other species that merit consideration. Leatherleaf viburnum may be a possibility...but that's more likely to be successful in Boston than the Berkshires.

If it were me I'd build the boxes five foot square and three deep, use 2" foam core for insulation, and use soil in the box.

The biggest problem with planter boxes is winter survival. The small volume of "soil" in even a very large planter has the potential - even with insulation - to freeze deeply enough to kill plants that would be perfectly hardy in the ground. (The old rule of thumb which says plants 2 zones hardier than what you'd plant in the ground will survive is a myth. If roots freeze into the 20's or so, the plant will die no matter what the zone rating.)

Moving something as large as 5'x5'x3' container to a protected area is also not practical. That's nearly 3 cubic yards of soil and an enormous weight.

All in all, annual plants in a large container as suggested or trees - and Japanese maples would be an excellent choice - in containers small enough to move for the winter are the best options. The second would require periodic root pruning, etc. but will work if the extra labor is acceptable.

@strobiculate:

Thanks again! I'll look into the persistence varieties. Also now that I know about the Japanese maples, those are definitely worth consideration (I used to have one and loved it). I can do a box that size and the insulation is a great idea.

@akamainegrower:

Thanks...I wasn't aware that the freeze was the biggest issue. I'll look into best ways of insulating it for the winter.

I would suggest asking for this information in the container forum. I know that some forums are less active than others but that one seems to get a fair amount of traffic.

Oooh...didn't realize that forum existed. Thanks! Just posted there.