Advice on buying mature trees and shrubs
Ris
4 years ago
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Comments (11)
Embothrium
4 years agodbarron
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Small flowering tree or large shrub advice....
Comments (3)Dwarf conifers are a possibility - there are scads of varieties and many will never exceed 15' in a lifetime. Since they are evergreen, they look as good in winter as in summer, but they don't flower and they don't grow fast. Evergreen flowering shrubs are limited for your hardiness zone but you could look at rhododendrons or pieris. Some varieties are more sun tolerant than others but again, none growth particularly fast. There are any number of deciduous flowering shrubs that could work for you - lilac, forsythia, smokebush, rose of Sharon, chionanthus. These tend to grow more rapidly than either conifers or broadleaved evergreen shrubs but they are pretty much uniformly naked in winter :-) It is hard to find any flowering trees that wil remain below 15'....and even these generally tend to have naked trunks or seldom branch to the ground. Personally, I would opt to create a larger planting bed somewhere along the street side that is appropriate to your screening requirements. And I'd use a mix of plants - something tall and full to provide screening, something that provides seasonal bloom color and something to give evergreen/winter attraction. I know not everyone thinks this way but a tree (or two) or even a large shrub plunked down in the middle of the lawn looks to me extremely awkward and disconnected. Even less appropriate with a small garden such as yours - it comes across as a bit of an after thought instead of a planned landscape. I would much prefer to see a well thought out planting bed with maybe a larger tree to anchor it and smaller shrubs as an accompaniment....See MoreScreening Tree/Shrub Advice Needed
Comments (11)I have to agree with T'John that part shade won't give the very rapid growth you want, so you may be out big bucks to get bigger trees to start with. The magnolia, unless you paid for big ones, would be slow growing, esp. in shade - they mostly like sun, so may not do well at all in mostly shade. The sweet bay, M. virginiana, does OK with shade. Height might be iffy too - you would have to pick a cultivar carefully. Again, you would have to chose carefully, since they are shrubby when young and might need limbing up, but a vibunum of one kind or other shouldn't get too tall, and will flower. I don't know about fall color. Redbud, a native, would do, maybe as a mix of the green-leaved and the purple-leaved-in-spring-and-early summer Forest Pansy, to give early spring flowers. Franklinia is another native possibility, and would give summer flowers, but might end up too tall. Davidia, while possibly hard to find, is another summer-flowering tree, and Carolina Silver Bell (also native) is another spring flowering. Service berry or Juneberry (Amelanchier) is another native with spring flowers. Mayhaw would give flowers and berries, and is another native. And one or another of the clumping bamboos might be a thought. Hope this list gives you a few to look up and think about....See MoreReforesting 1/4 Acre with native shrubs and trees! Any Advice?
Comments (6)It's hard for me to do the math in my mind and picture how thickly your trees and shrubs will be, but from my experience, it will be easiest to maintain if you put down newspapers, several sheets thick and then a few inches of mulch over that to keep the weeds down. If you call around, you might be able to find free mulch. I got a huge load delivered free to my house from a tree service company. It's not as nice as the stuff you buy but the price was right and I got it in the winter so it was free of leaves which makes it break down more slowly. Or your city may have a recycling facility with free or cheap mulch. I agree with Mosswitch. I'd put it right over the grass instead of trying to dig it all up. I'm not familiar with Maryland's climate but you may need to water them the first year or two when it's dry. I am quite jealous that you got all those for free! Wow! Sounds like you're going to have lots of berries/seeds for song birds. Spicebush is a host plant for Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies and Sweetbay Magnolia is a host plant for Tiger Swallowtails. Nice bonus....See MoreMature Trees and Homeowners Insurance - Advice?
Comments (4)Lots of info on the web regarding insurance and fallen trees, etc. What crops up most is the usual $500 payout for debris clean up for an Act of God occurrance - assuming a downed tree does no damage to structures or property. And the spectre of multiple claims for this type of thing would undoubtedly adversely affect rates. But I have no doubt most insurance companies would be glad to write up additional coverages. After all, you're hedging your bet against something happening, and the company has your premiums which they may or may not pay out on if something does happen. I live in an old established neighborhood with virtually nothing but mature trees. They're beautiful, a real asset, and losses do create holes in the landscape. Much to my dismay, I had to have two immense basswoods which dominated the skyline for blocks taken down - with age basswoods get weak and start dropping debris, and these actually had the potential of wreking havoc, perhaps even killing someone, if they came down. And I bit the bullet to the tune of $2500 to make this situation go away. Even if they had come down on their own and done no particular damage, it's doubtful I would have put in a claim against my homeowner's insurance for any clean up. A reputable certified, licensed, and bonded arborist is your best bet. They have the skills to identify potential problems and minimize a lot of your risks. And I really think good maintenance with professional assistance would be cheaper in the long run than additional insurance. premiums....See Moreshantony39
4 years agoRevolutionary Gardens
4 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoAlexander SE Michigan - Zone 5b
4 years agoUser
4 years agowhaas_5a
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agopls8xx
4 years ago
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