Interesting situation, to pick a spot for a new tree. Clearly there is room, but the question of where is not as easily answered as one might think - as shown by the fact, perhaps, that no one has answered! It took me a couple of days to figure out why this is hard. One reason is not knowing just what you want your relationship to be with passers-by on the road and with your neighbours across the road - how much of the house you want to leave visible, how much you want to be able to see out - for example, do you want to be able to see when the mail is being delivered, or when someone is coming up your driveway? Another is not knowing how you like the task of mowing to go. So we don't really have enough information to fully understand your preferences... you don't need to explain them to us, but you do need to articulate them to yourself to make a decision. What is important to you about the front yard, and about trees in the front yard? Another is that there are already more trees than I realized from your earlier photo and they are quite distinctly linear in arrangement - furthermore, many are already maples. So it is hard to know whether to create a new linear component in the design or start to transition from a linear to a more random arrangement. I would prefer to evolve away from the linear aspect, especially as you move away from the driveway. Planting in groves does have its risks, as BBoy has pointed out above. I went on a tour of a local arboretum a while back (Riverview) where trees were frequently planted in 3s and 5s, and the resulting groves, 100 years later, now consist of rather unevenly developed trees in that the canopies are abutting and sometimes killing each other off on the adjoining side. So the trees are uneven although the groves remain symmetrical. But that's 100 years out, and all your specimens may not be 100-year trees. If they are not, then you can actually plant with a view to tree succession already. For example, I do not like the two maples (green in your first picture, red in your later ones) that are quite symmetrically planted across the middle of the lot - I don't like their shapes, so that's personal, but I also don't like their symmetry, since they somehow don't relate to each other or the property at all. I think I would begin by disturbing their balance a little by planting new trees near them, or in front of them, and then plan to remove one of the two existing trees at a later date. Always with a view to sight lines (and mowing lines if those matter). Also, I can't remember if you said anything on the other thread about big trees in the back yard, if you want or have any growing in there. For looks alone, nothing settles a house into a property better than being backed by some tall trees. But if it is not practical to plant them back there, then I would plant them in the front, albeit a fair distance from the house. As they grow you can prune their canopies up and even if they block your view now, eventually sight-lines will re-emerge beneath them (and in winter of course). All that refers mostly to deciduous trees. Conifers are also beautiful to have in the yard, but they will block sight lines all the time, so place with caution. Karin L

Thank you ja-gardener. That is pretty similar to where my very uneducated eye was going too; I know that the one branch is too low and has to come off, but I figured the stuff in the middle was more critical as it could effect the integrity of the tree. I'll let the lower branch on for another year or two. I am thinking that if it is carefully pruned as it matures it will end up with two to three main branches coming off the trunk. It was not perfect when we bought it, but not nearly so crowded! Other than taking off too very thin low limbs I've mostly let it go. It went in the ground nearly four years ago, but the first year ended up being terribly dry. We watered it diligently but it was stressed so I wanted to give it several years to make food for roots before taking anything off the top. This will help me start the conversation with the arborist and I'll see what he says. I might have him out to look at it before it leafs so he can get a good idea of the structure, then have him prune it this summer.

"Would you? Could you?" From my childhood memories, squirrel is very tasty but so many have to die to feed me a meal (I'm a big eater) that I can't really get behind it. Not a fairly advanced mammal, that looks so cute. Now, 1 chicken could feed me a meal. A cow would feed me a number of meals. One squirrel is an appetizer. Your ethics may vary. Richard.

let me put it this way ... i hate poplars.. lol ... the problem you saw in 5 or 10 years.. on the poplar.. you WILL SEE on the maple.. in 30 to 50 years ... as to your age.. and if that will be an issue in 30 to 50 years.. i do not know ... of all the trees in this wide world.. i wonder.. why you are limiting yourself.. to ONLY these two options ???? what about oak??? where are you .... and are you open to other options???? another way to say this.. is that anything that claims to be FAST GROWING.. which is the ONLY salable point of a poplar ... is going to be fast to be a problem.. and fast to die ... as you have learned ... and one might suggest.. if this maple is marketed under the same idea.. of fast growing.. well.. my gut tells me.. its might be another problem tree .. but again.. its the time frame of how fast it will all happen ... ken ps: i hate maples too.. lol .. but that is because i can not garden under them ... and if you had poplar.. i will presume.. you werent gardening under them anyway .. so it doesnt matter ... but if you have any inclination ... to want to do such ... you need something beyond a maple .. pps: you will probably be killing root suckers from that poplar.. for upwards of 3 years.. even if you have the stump ground out ... they will need to be snipped and treated with roundup or stump killer.. until they stop coming back ... let us know when this happens ....