I tried to post again last night, but something was strange with my computer and it didn't work. Anyway . . . My husband went to the sale this morning. He came back with 50 white spruce trees, 10 black walnut, and 10 black cherry trees. They are bigger than seedlings, but bareroot. He also bought a can of some spray to deter animals from eating them (some sort of dried blood?). The total cost was $80- and $15 of it was for the spray. The spruce will be planted in grass, with no shade. The walnut and cherry will be planted in an area that will be shaded part of the day. I'm thinking of doing a rainbarrel by the polebarn (the only building on the land) to use to water the trees. We can also get bucketsful from the creek and drive them up to the trees in the trailer. I'm also considering trying out the gallon jugs/ 2 litre bottles of water with small drip holes in them to help with watering. (Yea, I know 70 is A LOT of trees to water!) There's no well yet, so it's all by hand--good thing we have 2 boys to help! Good news is the weather is forecast to rain for the next week!

I totally agree you should look for quality trees for the long run, but I'm honestly a fan of planting cheap, fast-growing trees that provide some shade or coverage in the short term, to be co-planted with good, slow-growing "legacy" trees and then sacrificed when your good stock grows in. I don't know your zone, but whatever the nursery has a lot of and is selling cheap in fall would work for me for a couple of years. Even if you only plant your good stuff from the outset, I think you will see results sooner than 10 years. Maybe things grow faster here in the rainforest, but I'm amazed what a 1-2 gallon tree (I like to buy them small if I can) can do in five years - a purple birch I bought as a 1-gallon is now the height of the house (2 and a half storeys). Not dense yet, but it's there. If you start with a $60-80 tree instead, usually a 1-2" caliper, in 3-5 years you will already have a shady spot to put down a blanket for the kids to play (if there are kids, if not, then for you to rest up from mowing :-)). It won't yet hold the mass of cool air that a bigger tree will do, but there will be shade. Above all, keep in mind that planting doesn't always have to be done right first time and forever. There are always trees available, and you can plant more and replace as necessary. Karin L

Turning your yard into a cave, until they blight off, break up or blow over. If these aren't dwarf lilacs they will grow much taller than they are now. However, tall shrubs or trees right next to a wood fence will probably become a headache when the fence needs some work. I suppose the shade and dampness they foster might even cause some work on the fence to be needed. Make a bed where tree(s) can be planted well out from the fence instead. If this doesn't seem like it would work maybe talk to a garden designer about organizing your spaces to meet your needs. You might even have to use an architectural solution like a gazebo, trellis or arbor if trees don't seem like they will fit.

I made a really stupid mistake, and I'm very embarrassed to have to post my experience but could use some advice (so please excuse my poor decision). I found a handyman that offered to move the red maple tree in the front yard to the back for the bargain price of $75. The only thing is that the tree had a monsterous root system, and he had to move it with his truck and a rope around the trunk. The bark scratched, which I didn't think was a big deal...and he said he thought it would be ok...until I researched on gardenweb after he left. The tree is very scratched, circling 75-80% of the tree's circumference, so it may take years, but the tree won't make it. I called him back to tell him that the tree would eventually die/break and he felt bad and offered to plant another tree for me. Last week, after my initial posting and reading the feedback, I ended up purchasing an autumn gold ginko (it's not planted yet and is actually still at the nursery). I had every intention of getting a kousa, but I'm just not seeing any that look good in the nurseries (and I've been all over in two counties). Plus I'm finding most are no-name varieties. Plus the branching structure starts out low -- just 14" from the base, so while it's a tree, it's a low branching tree (and I guess I'd prefer a higher branching tree in the front yard). I'd like to try a kousa if I can find the right spot, just not the front yard. Sorry, I'm being particular, but I'm trying to make the right decision that dh will be happy with as well. I realize that the ginko will get 40', but it's such a beautiful tree, so I figured that perhaps I would put that in the front. In lieu of what happened, and as much as I love the ginko, I'm thinking that I should plant the ginko in the back yard where the red maple (the only tree in the backyard) had been planted. I'd also like to get a Blackgum to put in the back yard (maybe next year, or this year if I can find them on sale). One of the local nurseries has a serviceberry tree that is $259 -- a nice tree, but out of the range of what I wanted to spend (I'd love to wait for them to go on sale, but I'm not sure when that will be and if they will still be around). THIS YEAR: I really need to have a tree in the front yard (part of the agreement I made with dh when I told him I was moving the front tree). Should I plant the ginko in the front yard or will I regret it when it gets too large? OR Should I plant the ginko in the back yard and get a smaller tree for the front (as per my original plan, but I just haven't found the right tree for the front in my price range). On a good note, my dh did not say "I told you so" or anything to that effect, but I do feel like I'm in an "I Love Lucy" episode at this point.