Hi Weeper.

I know they get a bad rap because of their root system, but since you're on a farm, if you can put it FAR away from the house near the weeping willow, nothing beats the look of the rustling leaves of a great big old fashioned poplar =:)

How about a Nannyberry for your white flowering tree? Apparently they're beautiful in the fall, too.

I'll have to look into the Nannyberry, NAF. I'm not sure I've ever seen one at the greenhouse though..

Haha, oh, you should see my yard! We have tons of poplar's in our shelterbelt...some are the columnar ones, some are some variety of hybrid that are big and bushy, and I think we even have a few cottonwoods...which actually seem to live a VERY long time, these ones have been on our yard for nearly 100 years.(according to the people we bought our yard from) I'll have to take a picture sometime of these two enormous poplars we have on either side of our driveway. The previous owners planted four columnar poplar's in one spot on each side, and when they grew up they sort of grew into one tree. You can't even tell that they aren't just single enormous clump form trees. Anyway, they're ginormous. I don't think I've ever seen ones as big as they are. And they are so symetrical! I know poplars are frowned upon and all that, but I like their rustling leaves, like you mentioned, and they smell good! Plus, they (or at least the ones in our yard) live quite a bit longer than people say they do. Good enough for a farm yard, anyway!

Well, it sounds like I'd love your farm yard =:)

I can almost picture all those trees, and your horse (horses?) standing there flicking their tails, and all your roses and perennials. Very nice. It sounds like the only thing you're missing is a row about 1/4 mile long, of lilacs that you can smell from far away when the wind blows.

North53 has a picture of a Nannyberry. If you search "Anybody Have a Tree Form Nannyberry" you'll find the thread and the picture.

Well in 5-10 years you'll REALLY love our place then, because I've planted nearly 300 lilacs in the past 2 years! 2/3 of them are just the less-nice villosa lilac we can get for free from the pfra, but the other 1/3 are the "old fashioned" lilac that are very, very fragrant. We do have 2 horses. They do like to flick their tails and bob their heads to keep the bugs off. ;)

But you forgot a couple things: first, their is the always slightly overgrown lawn because it is all brome grass that grows approx. 1 inch/hour, secondly that we grow dandelions professionally, and third, that I'm much more talented at growing weeds than perennials and roses. But other than that, you've got a good picture of our place.:)

Actually, the one thing I really don't like about our trees is that we have a row of green ash in the shelterbelt and they always seem to have some sort of leaf spot that defoliates them to some degree, they are last to leaf out in spring and first to lose their leaves in fall..I don't like green ash!

Did you grow up a farm girl? Sounds like you have fond memories of the typical farm yard.

Well, I grew up a farm girl at heart in the city and I can smell the horses from here, Weeper! I would love to come and spend the summer on the farm, weeds and all. I am LMAO about your weed comment! I'm still in the city but I am farming thistles and I also have a very productive ant farm! I am looking forward to coming for a visit this summer! I'll bring some Manitoba maples if you want. I have about 40 I can pot up for you if you like. They grow any way you trim them!

Did you mention swamp maple aka Acer Maple? They grow fast and furious and have red foliage in the fall. Available at T&T this year. I got 2 since I overpaid for my order and didn't want to write another cheque. They are now in pots. Kinda cute. Maybe I'll bring them down with me. :)And some peonies. You can't kill them!

I'm with Lynn on the farm thing. :)

Ginny

Oops! I guess that was McFayden's I got those little maples from. :)

Ginny

Blonde day! I meant to type Acer rubrum or Red maple. I think I spent too much time in the sun today! ;)

Ginny

I say I have blonde days all the time. Except I'm brunette ;) I don't mind blonde's taking the heat for my air-headedness! :D (just joking, blondes!)

I'd be interested in where Mcfayden's got their red maples from..from what I've heard, they sometimes have trouble with hardiness depending on where the seedstock in from.

Yep, you and NAF can come out, and I'm so generous I'll give you all divisions of my sumo-sized-danelions! And little gift baggies of horse manure for your gardens. No need to thank me. :)

Good morning Saskatchewan! You're welcome, Weeper.

Chores are done and lots of planting to do today so this blonde didn't get enough sleep! Oh well.....I will have a few more grey hairs by the end of the day I am sure. :)

I have no idea where McFayden's gets their seed from. Maybe right there in Manitoba. Guess you'd have to try a couple.These two look healthy with good roots. They have no idea they will have to live in pots for a while. :)

Ginny

Have you heard of the Little Tree Nursery in Martensville? I just read about it somewhere on this forum and checked it online. Maybe you could find something there? They grow their stuff, so it's less expensive.

Weeper, I didn't grow up on a farm, but had relatives who had one. You certainly won me over when you said you have horses, and 300 lilacs. And for the record, farms are supposed to have overgrown lawns. It's part of their character =:)

Ginny, your chores are done? Are you sure you're not on a farm?

Brr..I don't think I'll be doing any planting today, windy, chilly and rain-a-comin'.

NAF, yes, I like to shop at Little Tree Nursery! I've got quite a few little trees coming along from them. The only downside is that most of their trees are the species, vs. a variety that is an improvement on the species. So they have the silver maple, but they didn't carry the Silver Cloud silver maple(I have both anyway, but the silver cloud is supposed to be quite an improvement on the species)

On the plus side, they have a good selection of apple trees and other fruit, they have lots of shrubs, their prices are good, and if you want a species tree, she'll probably have it.

I may as well be on a farm, Lynn. I feed everything around here and have lots of tall grass! By the time I get the dogs fed, the birds fed, the plants watered and myself taken care of, I am ready to go back to bed!

Weeper, from what I have heard from my tree lovin' friends, the Autumn Maple is supposed to be a huge improvement over the silver and red maples with the hardiness of the swamp maple. Maybe I will try one in a pot to keep these two company. :)

Ginny

May I recommend a linden? The (greenish) flowers have a heavenly smell (and can be made into tea!), and t. americana does grow into a very large tree. You do have to look for it, though, because most nurseries seem to stock only tilia x. (cordata), which is smaller. Most people seem to overlook these trees, although every prairie town usually has at least a couple tucked away on side streets.

Second choice: a black locust. Few flowering trees are more beautiful (or smell better than these). The downside: they're smallish (15-20 feet) and short-lived.