When it comes to utility boxes. There are regulations on how close one us allowed to plant from them. also the front of electric boxes need at least a 15 feet long clearance for an electric utility worker to access inside of them. I have found that efforts to cover screen plant such utility boxes is not the answer. Instead move out from the boxes about 6 to 8 feet and plant around the sides and back of the boxes good quality single trunked trees like oak, Blackgum, and/or hornbeam trees. I planted a Scarlet oak and two Shumardi oaks that way curved around the side and beyond of a utility box area that I can see when looking toward the Southwest side front corner of my property. The trees were in 7 gallon size pots when I planted them two years ago, and they were about 10 feet tall. Now they have filled out enough, and have grown to about 13 feet tall, but are in an area where I do not need to limb them up yet. Even so, their bottom most branches are still higher than the tallest utility box. Normally I would have not planted those oak trees so close together, but in this situation I do not care if they develop more narrow canopies, between each other. Even once mature, they should all still receive enough light on at least three of their sides, and should be even less stressed than trees growing so closely together in forests. I have been surprised at how much these trees distract an observer's attention from the utility boxes. If someone is looking for the boxes they are easily found, but in general the average passerby person is distracted from the boxes, by the sight of the beautiful trees I planted. Years earlier someone had tried to hide the boxes by planting a shrub right infront of where the door opens, and a large growing holly shrub so close to the side of the box that the lid can not be now be raised even if the front shrub is removed. Before I planted the three trees, these two shrubs just served to draw attention to the boxes. Now that my trees are well established, I know that I need to cut down those two shrubs, which prevent a repairman's access into the box. I am so glad that even then, the trees I planted will still serve to distract from what will afterward become "those in plain sight boxes." I think pots of garden plants place in front of the unit would only serve to draw attention to the utility boxes. So it is best to find a different location to plant your few garden items. Once I remove those two badly located shrubs, I am thinking of planting in front of the main big utility box, some fall blooming bulbs now which will grow almost to the height of the box, spring blooming bulbs this fall, and summer blooming bulbs the following spring. Then maybe this fall I can plant, under the oak trees and about 3 feet away from the side of the utility boxes, some dwarf evergreen shrubs that will not spread more or grow taller more than 3-4 feet.

Thanks for your suggestions. I hesitate to try to photograph the area as it's a long strip and would be hard to do, given my limited photographic abilities. So I'll try to describe it. It's a long narrow strip of land, about 5 feet wide and the length of the entire side of our house. But I probably won't convert the whole area. I at least want to convert the part that I can see from the kitchen windows, which is about 12 feet long. Future project would be the part below the dining room windows, another 12 feet or so. On one of the sides is the reddish brick wall of our house and includes a few basement windows. The other side is a reddish-stained cedar fence. It currently has native grape vines covering much of it. That could go or stay. It's a dry area, though I will provide some water. Moss wouldn't work. I can't put a lot of water into that soil because it is elevated and supported beyond the fence by a retaining wall that is tilting. Consultants have told me that introducing plants would be good for the stability, but not to saturate the soil with water. It's currently a weed patch, but I am smothering the area to kill them. There is a very large yew (tree-sized) at the end of the area, corner of the house. Hope this helps.

Hi J.M. Lovers I have Posted here details of a new book on Japanese Maples by Neil Kenney of "Larchfield Trees" UK The Book is filled with plenty of helpful Guidelines to help Beginners,(Like Myself) and Seasoned Professionals alike. Gardengal..Did you mange to acquire a copy of this as I know you wanted one.. Does anyone have details of any Japanese Maple Stockists in Cheshire UK please Thanks...Stephen,Cheshire.UK

the only problem with your garden .. is that YOU THINK it should look like something else ... someone with a real love of trees and conifers.. spent a lot of money on this landscape .... where are you .. you need to visit an arboretum .. and see how it is done professionally ... so you can start to understand ... otherwise.. just rip it all out.. and plant your own garden.. more in tune with your minds eye ... its your house now ... conifers are trees.... as are trees .. they do things in tree time... not human time ... its a slow motion sort of thing.. you have plenty of time learn about it all .. i would probably suggest that the Picea pungens be removed some time in the future ... it was obviously planted for the size it was.. as a babe at the store ... and now its a telephone pole in the making ... too close to the house.. and ridiculously out of scale ... no redeeming value in my book ... let us know where you are.. and hopefully we can recommend an arboretum nearby ... and you may as well invest in a good pair of hand shears ... scissors are not going to work on trees .... ken