Stimulate those Creative Juices please...

16 years ago

http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y260/picturestoshare/Backyard/

Here are pictures of my backyard (hopefully). I am unable to find actual measurements for yard; it's about 75 W x 85 D for the area I'm looking at (beyond patio).

I'd like to provide some shade for my backyard and add interest. I really like having the open space, but blocking some sound from the school (and one day the stadium lights?) would be nice. The city 'owns' the ten feet from the street to my property line so technically I shouldn't plant anything there (they "could" come through with a sidewalk some day). The rocks in my pic are outside the property line, judging from everyone else's fence line, that is.

I'm not a huge fan of pines, but it gets a lot of wind so maybe I need some, also for winter interest. The center of the yard is low and stays wet for a short time in spring and after heavy rains. The soil is clay, but the trees there have done well w/o major ammendment.

I'd like something deciduous closer to the house/patio, but am not sure where to place them so they don't look unbalanced or block my views. I'd like something on either side; kind of don't want anything right in the center of hte yard; I like having an open space for play, although maybe that would be best for shade. I may end up just having to build a pergola or something to shade the patio.

I guess I want a fenceline of trees, and something in the middle to north side that will shade the house/patio in July/August.

Many of the trees I like I've been told need winter protection. I don't want anything already overplanted- no pears or red maples. I like looking at yards with trees of various colors. Tulip tree, honeylocust, serviceberry, red horsechestnut, tupelo, red oak are some of the trees I've had on my list. I would love a Butterflies Magnolia. I love flowering trees for shorter and spring interest. I change my mind all the time though; that's part of why I haven't committed to anything yet. There are no power lines overhead or underfoot to worry about. Anyway...I'm open for suggestions on how to fill up my yard or perimeter on a multi-year plan. I can probably only do two trees this year due to finances.

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Comments (6)

quirkyquercus
16 years ago
I'm the one who's always saying to post pics but You need a lot of trees there dude.
Unless you want to watch the games and have the light beaming in your window you need some trees to screen the back. I'd haul in enough dirt to build a 2' or higher berm and do a mixed planting of evergreens there. (regionally popular screen trees) You might as well just buy a bunch of small evergreens instead of larger ones. By the time the money crunch goes away you will have something there. Butterflies magnolia and other small ornamentals would be nice around the patio.
I'd put in some of those big monsters (tulip popar, n red oak etc) off to the side but not so much to overhang your neighbors yards.
quirkyquercus
16 years ago
And don't put in a straight row of same trees. The goal is not for a prospective future home buyer to go out there and say "what are they hiding behind that row of trees" but instead to say "That is lovely landscaping... I really love that grouping of norway spruce. It looks fabulous situated next to the grouping of american holly."
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I've used the Money Maze/Bilz Box several times (I may not have kids of my own but I've often had quite a few around with their sticky little hands out ;-)) and it always goes over well - meaning the recipient swears a lot at me while they try to solve the puzzle. *evil grin* If one doesn't take a hammer to it ;-) and hangs onto the outside box, it recloses nicely so it can be reused for someone else. Only six boxes, Mareda? ;-) Someone dear to me once did that with over twenty boxes, starting with a washing machine box and ending with a tiny box with a pair of diamond earrings (which were promptly stolen from my dorm room - people can really suck). You can keep the momentum rolling for a youngster, who might get discouraged, by taping a dollar bill to one of the inside boxes every so often. One year when DH and I were especially flush we gave my little brother - high schooler at the time - cash folded up very tiny and stuck into a walnut shell (which I admit I bought from Michaels, not being successful in getting a walnut to open nicely myself) which I painted gold and hung from a ribbon. I think I put something like "for my favorite nut" on the tag? Mom said he looked rather crestfallen thinking that stupid little walnut was his present - I think the painted walnut shell was an "in" craft that year - but she was in on it and told him to break it open. He just about croaked. Someone in the household has to be in on the joke, or perhaps in another little box you could wrap up a dollar-store nutcracker as a hint. I've use cash as a bookmark in a favorite book - I once bought a book in a used bookstore with a $50 bill stuck in the middle where you wouldn't find it unless you read the entire book! I don't do that, I leave it sticking a tiny bit out of the top. (I called the bookstore to see if they had a record of who had turned it in for credit, but they didn't, so I split the $50 with the local animal shelter.) I think that would be an especially great thing to do with a book on money management for teens/young adults.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
my best advice.. get to a local arboretum ... or tree farm ...

where are you exactly .. perhaps we can lead you in the right direction ....

and exactly what is your budget ... is this a 'all in one swoop' lets get it done thing because there is no budget ... or are you starting a collection??

how long do you plan on being there??? .. how small are you willing to start .. plant wise ...

in photobucket...use the HTML tag line to insert pix directly in your post.. on PREVIEW.. if you see it we will see it ....

though i don't know how to do that with a photo album like yours... but you could have used the LINK box below where you typed to link us to the album ... anyway ...

and please keep in mind .... smaller trees grow faster than transplanting bigger trees.. and cost a lot less ... keep that in mind regarding the patio .... IMHO ... a mail ordered, $20 4 foot whip just MIGHT outgrow a 15 foot 500 dollar tree in 5 years .... because the monster will take that much longer to 'get a move' on .. the shock of transplant and all ...

and finally .. what kind of soil did the developer leave you under the grass .... clay or sand.. or somewhere in between????

more facts.. more answers.. ken
diane_9
Original Author
16 years ago
Ken: do you live in Adrian? I usually get my trees at Gee Farms if you are familiar with them. For anyone else, zone/conditions near Lansing, Mich.

Soil has lots of clay and lots of 2" rocks that makes the digging tough. It used to be farmland (less than 10 yr ago); probably corn/wheat/soy rotation. I've never done a soil analysis.

This is a continual plan; I mentioned a multi-year plan. I am planning on being here for the next ten years at least. I'm willing to start two trees at a time (that's what I have been doing). Small possibility of using some savings for a little larger arrangement ($1000). Otherwise a couple hundred (one tree will be a gift- under $100 for sure). My other trees have all been about $60 5-6'.

I am trying to remind myself that I've read smaller grows better; I nearly bought a giant tree this summer for instant gratification.

I will try again on the pictures- this is new for me. I don't usually post pictures or personal information. I thought it would show up as a link. I can't figure how to get the pic in the post. Can't copy and paste it.

QQ: Yes, I would prefer a mix of interesting trees with varying colors and heights, not just three in a row. If I build a berm, don't I need to let it stand a season before planting trees in it? And I would bring in compost and cover with mulch for that? We're talking 5+ yards of dirt? 10? Were you suggesting all along the back line or back and side?

I'm going to try and get out to get pictures of some things I like-and don't like- then head over to a tree farm. If you have specific suggestions of groupings I'd like to hear them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Backyard
nyssaman
16 years ago
get some horse sh*t - best thing in the world for clay soils
quirkyquercus
16 years ago
To tell you the truth I would just have them haul in a few CY's of screened clay loam fill dirt and rent a bobcat and be done with it in a few hrs. Trees grow in this kind of soil even though it may not be the most desirable for other types of garden plants and it makes a heck of a hill. I'm not into ammendments or compost too much. If the tree is not adaptable to the type of soil I have then I pin a photo of one to the wall and plant something else.

I make a lot of decisions based on what deals I can negotiate. Some of my most recent 2" q. lyrata for $15, 7' multistem amalanchier for $15, 5' em green arbs $10 ea, 5' picea abies $35 ea. I just try to make contacts and shop around and see what people have. When I think something is overpriced I say have a nice day and leave it for someone else. I'm not made of money but I would go nuts if I limited myself to 2 trees a year. Once in a blue moon I splurge and overpay for something. Let me just say that every tree I currently have that I paid over $200 for are not my favorites or I'm not all that fond of.

Stimulate those Creative Juices please...

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