service berry. nice flowers, fruits attract birds.

Didn't realized you posted here as well...surprised there aren't more suggestions here.

Location is too open for a Serviceberry. They are too finiky. Even a hardy Cornus kousa would do better there.

I'm just assuming but are those Crapapples lined up on the driveway to the left? If so those are even more plants from the Rose family. Diversify.

Lilac perhaps?

Any of the viburnums do well there?

Metasequoia Ogon grows tall and fast. Somewhat thin and is BRIGHT and different.

Azaela? I saw a ton of excellent looking Gibraltar Azaelas in Ohio this spring. Need acidic soil though but it seems enough must have around Cambridge and...where was Dawes....Columbus?

What a huge amount of grass!!

Although a serviceberry would grow there once established (who would do the watering?...way out there?), and I like serviceberries better than maples, I think because of the scale of the yard the maple is a better choice.

tj

That is a lot of lawn.

TJ, too funny I said the same thing in the design forum.

I agree with tsugajunkie, that a large tree such as the maple would nicely fit and help anchor that area, though you might prefer a different species of tree.

Terrance

Thanks for all the replies!! I checked a couple of days ago and there were no replies so didn't realize you were answering. I'll read this over and comment more later. The sunset maple would be a multistem....if that makes a difference.

Thank you! This has been extremely helpful.
whaas - thanks for letting me know that a serviceberry wouldn't do well here. I had no idea. It's full sun and extremely windy at times and so it doesn't look like a serviceberry would be best there. Would a multistem dogwood work there and look good? I've always loved the dogwood blooms. Yes those are crabapples. I wish we wouldn't have planted them in a row like that ...but we did.

tornado -I looked at the redwood and that is a pretty tree. I was considering a ivory silk lilac tree. Are you familiar with that?

docjsf - I have always wanted a serviceberry. I have a bird obsession :) so would love to have one. It looks like they might not do well in that spot though. I might put a couple up near my house where it is protected from the wind and where I can water it.

esh ga and others that commented on my large grassy area....I know. My son is in the army now, so guess who mows it. Me. My husband has a seasonal business so doesn't have the time in the summer.

tsugajunkie and terrance - thanks for the advice about the maple fitting nicely there.

I think from all of your replies I might stay with his suggestion. He's a nice guy but just isn't like any other landscaper I've worked with. He doesn't want me questioning anything he does. I've worked with other landscapers and they gave me choices to choose from. (sigh)
I have another spot where I can put serviceberries that's closer to my house and protected from the wind more.

Tamsea, it is your land and your property, DO NOT SETTLE for someone else's fantasy! Get a new landscaper if you must, but the decision is YOURS to make.

I love your place! That yard is begging for some family flag football action ;-)

John

Well if you like birds then let me tell you that the grass is doing nothing for them. Grass provides zero support to birds - not in food, shelter, a place to raise their young .... Just a thought - consider continuing to shrink your glass areas and replacing them with regionally native trees and shrubs (like serviceberry and native maples) that produce food and attract the beneficial insects that they feed to their babies.

Such a great space - help it support the things you love. Good luck!

Thanks John. It's a 5 acre lot...skinny and long. We've used the yard a lot. We have a large pond in the backyard and my husband is well known among our friends for his greased watermelon games there.

Talk about a dream blank canvas! You'd have a legit bird sanctuary if you dedicated merely half of that grassy area to trees and native plants - and you'd still have a football field left over for the melon games, and wouldn't have to worry nearly as much about mowing. That must be four blocks worth of yard space in my area. Congrats and good luck. And there must be tons of other options for placement of that serviceberry if you really want one.

esh ga and c2g. I realize this but wanting to plant more trees and knowing where and what to plant is stopping me. Behind the house is not an option for serviceberries if they need a little protection, but I do have a place up near the house. Truthfully I just don't know where to start in planting. I don't understand how one knows where to place trees in a yard this size. It's like closing my eyes and picking a spot to me.

tam, any other choices to throw out there? Do you have a source you'd use to see what they have?

Forget about a multi-stem maple. I don't recommend that, they don't grow like that naturally.

You could always integrate fruit bearing shrubs in that area. There are smaller serviceberry shrubs and viburnums are the king of shrubs in my opinon. The dwarf cutlivars of Korean Spice Viburnum would look tremendous there.

You will find more knowledge here than you would ever expect. Conisder yourself tagged for gardening stardom.

"It's like closing my eyes and picking a spot to me."

That is actually not a bad strategy in that yard if you don't mind the trees growing into each other like they do in the forest. You can also increase the variety by planting trees closer together. You could also leave it as is, it is a wonderful piece of property. Glad you have a pond in the back. That pretty much completes the perfect landscape IMO.

John

tamsea,
There is no "RIGHT" way. There are infinite number of ways that work. You start with figuring out what you like. Doesn't have to be specific plants, but what you like. Do you like lots of fall color? Big majestic trees? Flowering? We know you like birds. How about natives, since the birds are adapted to those already.

What we have done in our yard is to try to mix zones. We have areas that will be highly shaded eventually, and we have others that are predominately shaded. We have some shrubs, and we mix large canopy trees and smaller trees that are happy in full sun or as understory trees. We have flower beds, with various species i.e gladiolus, native honeysuckle, clematis etc. But we have another area near a drainage channel that we continually add wild flowers to, along with native Iris, Louisiana Iris, and a select tree or two as well. We also try to have something in show, coming into show, of finishing a show all during the growing season. Then we have some things for winter interest as well. Sometimes it's "I want a Sugar Maples" like my significant other said, and so we ended up with two after I did enough homework. Still it's all a work in progress. Trees need to grow more. Shade is just developing. Wildflowers have been a bit slow to take hold. etc. etc.

Start with figuring out what you like, ask questions, and the gaps will fill in over time.

Arktrees

Create big swaths of plantings - kind of like your drawing. You don't want to have to mow around individual trees. Perhaps connect two or three of the trees that you already have by eliminating the grass between them.

I am not familiar with your area, but you've already got some area of protection on the sides with those conifers. Can you tuck serviceberries in on the sunny side of those?

Viburnums are great, I'd tend to go with the natives, not the korean ones. Shrub dogwoods are huge bird magnets. Oaks and maples are good for the insects that birds need.

You're right in that sometimes you ARE too close to it to see what to do. Try to find someone else to come out and throw out some ideas (like a gardening friend).

Here is a link that might be useful: native plant society NE Ohio

I've been to several different nurseries in the area to get ideas but haven't found anything that fits.
Whaas, your multi-stem maple pic on the other forum is so pretty. I know you said not to get one, but I may just stick with that. ???
Thanks John and Arktrees for trying to get me to relax a little and realize that whatever I do is OK.
Esh ga - thanks for the ideas on grouping trees together. Those conifers were just put there by the company that was putting in a pipe on the other side of my neighbors property so that's an option that I just now have. Good idea.

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I've decided for now not to put any tree in that spot and put it somewhere else instead. I just feel to nervous about it. I didn't really want a tree there to begin with. Now my question is whether to have him enlarge that spot for now and get the bed ready for later. I might just put shrubs and other perennials there.

Update: Talked with hubby and am going to hold off on what to plant in that spot and instead we are going to put a tree or two in our yard. We will still have him enlarge that area and get it ready for plants in late spring. By then I'll decide if I want a tree in that spot or not. Thanks for all your help. The many posts have helped me think through this whole process and know what I want (almost) and what will or will not work. I have made notes of all the trees you suggested and decided that I really want to add more trees the the yard. You have really spurred me on to start this. Thank you.

To quote myself..."You will find more knowledge here than you would ever expect. Conisder yourself tagged for gardening stardom."