Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: victoria_plum on June 02, 2010, 10:15
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Hi all. Can anyone help me find a suitable tree for my garden?
I have a poor man's box hedge down the side of the garden, and some newly build houses a hundred yards away will have a lovely view of our garden when they're finished!
I'd like to regain a little privacy by planting a (or maybe more than one) tree.
It needs to be no bigger than about 12 feet, 15 max, and have an upright habit, as I don't want to lose garden space. I do however want it to provide some screening above the hedge height (six feet?)
I don't want a massive tree that will take all the moisture out of the soil, or make a big chuck of the garden unplantable.
Anything you may think might work I would be really interested to hear about. And very grateful!
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why not get a fruit tree such as cherry or apple or even both :lol:
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What about a conifer?
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Victoria Plum ?
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Mountain Ash / Rowan?
Quite quick growing medium size tree - white flowers in May and red berries for the birds. Tree will tolearate a good deal of pruning and isn't too massive. Bare in winter though.
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Standard Magnolia. Very good cover for birds too. Just keep it chopped back to the size you want. :)
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I should have said, we have chalky soil, so unfortunately magnolia won't like it.
Are there any upright, shortish fruit trees? My mum has an apple tree but it has spread out sideways a long way.
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An espalier fruit tree? probably apple? or even two 'holding hands'?
Gillie
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Ornamental Cherry?
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As an alternative suggestion - what about some well placed arches? I wanted to add some height to the garden and like you like my privacy so have found them very useful. I've got all sorts of plants growing on them, roses, clematis, jasmine, golden hop and at one time a passion flower. Just a thought... :)
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Hmm... I have researched them all and although they are all really lovely I am worried about spread. In the future I want to dig a wildlife pond (only a small one) about two meters away from the site where the tree will be and I am concerned about roots and leaves falling into the pond. Also the amount of garden space I will lose to a wide tree.
Maybe I am finding out that what I really need is a tall type of shrub, that I can keep clipped into the shape I need. But how will that work planted next to a hedge? It's all logistics!
I love the idea of a weeping crab apple, but I am worried about the width, and the proximity to the hedge.
We would like to introduce more height into the garden so maybe shrubs could be the answer. Any suggestions?
Thank you everyone, for helping me through this journey of cluelessness!! :wub:
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You could keep a laurel in check with adequate pruning. I believe they are fairly easy to train into a variety of shapes.
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A row of beautiful productive and very narrow apple trees - expensive but amazing..
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big red hawthorn, or a scotswood pine or even an elderberry or a copper beech
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Blimey - I've never seen apple trees like that before!
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you'll need either a big ladder or a good hard hat when picking the apples! :lol:
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you'll need either a big ladder or a good hard hat when picking the apples! :lol:
My father-in-law has adapted a long reach pruner for 'picking' apples near the top of the trees. Sems to work well.
The trees crop well every other year - the photo shows one of the not-so-good years but for very compact trees they are pretty productive.