wow.. where is this.. it flashed me back to visiting busia in detroit in the 60's ... its a war zone now... i dont know why i ever went back to look ... anyway.. apparently i digress ... no tree really magically stops growing at some preferred height. .. its all about how long to get there.. and how far past ... i would not put a tree next to the garage.. there just isnt space for anything greater than 6 feet ... with a foot to spare on each side .... i would go with a tree dead center in the bigger plot ... and some shrubs down by the garage .... there is a variegated norway maple ... that has remained rather small for me .... but it might not let you garden under it in 20 years .... i know others have many good suggestions.. i just wanted to chime in an thank you for the memory flash ... to simpler times.. take care ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

Thanks Ricky, I don't have the patience or the skill. I've never been good with seeds. I think it goes back to that patience thing. Nice plant though.

First off, I'd go with something EVERGREEN. That way you'd have screening in winter. Then, I'd go with something that makes a small tree and remains more or less vertical in form without getting too wide -- but could be easily sheared if needed. Are you able to water these and maintain them? If it were me, I'd consider a holly - vertical grower and a dense grower, but try to get a less spiny one, as there are many hardy to your region... like Yaupon, Ilex cassine, 'East Palatka', 'Spartan', 'Scepter', 'Virginia' (hard to find), Ilex integra, Ilex buergeri, Ilex chinensis, Ilex rotunda, x wandoensis, or Ilex 'Eagleson'. (many of these may be impossible to locate in your region). Spinier (so, harder to work around), but equally attractive and functional hollies could include 'Savannah', 'Liberty', 'Homefire', 'Fosters', 'Christmas Jewel', 'Mary Nell', 'Oakleaf', 'Oakland', Ilex latifolia, 'Lassie'. Other plants to consider might be Magnolia virginiana (australis -- evergreen), Ternstroemia gymnanthera (Cleyera), Podocarpus, Viburnum awabuki 'Chindo' (needs reliable moisture), Viburnum 'Pragense' (needs regular pruning to tighten up), Prunus caroliniana 'Bright n Tight', and Osmanthus fragrans (fantastic fragrance), Photinia serrulata (Green Giant), Osmanthus x fortunei (spiny), Distylium racemosum, Laurus nobilis (Bay), Japanese Blueberry Tree (Elaeocarpus decipens), Loquat, one of the smaller Mag. grandifloras such as 'Teddy Bear' or 'Baby Grand', Wax myrtle, Red Bay or Swamp Bay, Quercus phillyreoides, and oh so many other possibilities! You could even mix in some Trachycarpus palms or Sabal palmetto into the lineup. I'd be tempted to put in, say three Trachycarpus (Windmill palms) equally spaced out at first. Then fill in between them with hollies, osmanthus, or some other broad-leaf evergreen. I don't know if you are near a large metropolitan area with good nurseries and diverse plant availability or must rely upon Home Depot or Lowes.

I bought all my manzanitas as 1 gallon pots from Pete at East Bay Wilds. My Dr. Hurd is just about 5 ft after 5 years. It can get to be 15ft if it is happy. I hope it gets to be at least 8 ft. Everything was installed at once in the Fall of 2013. Regarding the desert willow, I have Timeless Beauty in my yard. It is on the smaller side - up to 15 ft. It doesn't reseed and seems to grow on the slower side. I guess it just depends on what your needs are in terms of a tree/shrub. I am making a note of your CA native grass resource. I have a few non-native grasses that I need to replace - thanks! If you ever want someone to come give you some advice on your yard, I can certainly drop by. I am not a design/professional architect, I am just passionate about native plants and will give any feedback for free. I can certainly tell you if you have a Toyon in your yard :)