trees for boundary lawn

km79

hi i am looking for suggestions on types and quantity of trees to plant along front/side lawn that runs between two dormers on half acre sites. there is also a wire and post fence.
the lawn in question is 128 foot by 11.5 foot.
i am thinking about putting four trees in a friend of mine suggested it might be better to put in just 3??? what are yere opinions ?

i want a bit of colour in the garden so will be going for some red leaved trees as well as green with flowers.
the red leaved ones i like i think are copper beech or birch not sure which but its the one with smaller leaves.
also a red leaved maple.

for green leaved ones not sure apart from cherry blossom.

so i would appreciate anyone taking the time to point me in the right direction regarding quantity and also suggestions with the correct names for any i have mentioned myself also.
TIA

looksee

Which way is it 11'? Is that the width of the lawn across to a path/drive?
If they are on the south side of the neighbour then you would want something very open or your lawn will just be moss. I would suggest you do not put a tree within about min 10ft of your house wall or it will block light into your dormers. You could put a largish shrub to give you a bit of privacy at the front door.

Remember that a considerable amount of your tree will overhang your neighbours' garden, and the roots will be in their side too, so you might want to discuss that with them.

Silver birch is nice and open (thats the one with the small leaves), red acer is also good. Holly is a bit slow but it makes a very nice evergreen tree (let it get well established for a few years, then cut back the lower branches to make a tree rather than a bush.

eddiebarrett

Unless you intend to prune religiously every year, do not set Leylandii or you will be guaranteeing disputes between neighbours.

km79

thanks for the replies
oh i have no intention if getting Leylandi i will be planting these trees in middle of said lawn and might get some laurel thn to run along fence?
i have attached pics to give better idea. i have no neighbours at moment house is not sold yet.
the garden is 11.5 foot wide then the drive is about 18 foot.

Skrynesaver

From the photos 5/6 trees would do it nicely

Amelanchier is a nice compact flowering tree as are some varieties of Silver Birch.

I like "Malus Gorgeous" or "Malus Sentinel", very pretty crab apples, flower in spring, ornamental fruit in autumn.

If you have an acidic soil "Liquid Amber" or "Cornus Kousa" have beautiful foliage in autumn.

If you have dampish soil Alder makes a very shapely tree.

Personally I'd be inclined to kill the lawn off altogether and underplant these trees with a few medium sized shrubs, A few different Viburnums, Ceonothus "blue mound". etc..

km79

front third of lawn can get very wet in times of severe rain. are alder a nice looking tree . specifically what type of alder would you recommend.
i wont be killing off the lawn but i see your point.

looksee

Oh right, thats a much better area than I imagined. I thought you were dividing a semi with the mention of dormers.

Some great suggestions already, plant down the middle-ish of the strip. I would not put in copper beech, they grow huge (eventually). If you go for a prunus I would suggest a single flower rather than those double ones, apart from being more suited to a suburban setting, they dump tons of petals and the tree then looks rather dark and dull for the rest of the year. There is a very pretty, delicate one that flowers in winter http://www.gardenseeker.com/calendar_jan/prunus_subhirtella_autumnalis_rosea.htm
its lovely to see when everything else is bare.

Skrynesaver

Golden Alder is a more compact tree than the common alder and has an interesting yellow leaf, there is also a red alder (Alnus rubra) which grows as large as a common alder.

PS: I forgot about Rowan, another tree with ornamental flower and fruit.

km79

thanks for all the repiles ive decided ill probably go with four trees now to decide which 4:) i think id like to go red green red green if ya get me.
i like the copper beech and as you mentioned it grows really tall might put that first.
also like red maple how big does that grow.
then ill probably go for a cherry blossom and either silver birch or golden alder.
any further suggestions welcome im intending on purchasing and planting next week all going well

km79

went to the garden centre today and have decided on trees ....almost:)

def getting cherry plum (think i was mixing copper beech up with this)
also norway maple (crimson king)
green leaved ones going to go for a himalayan birch and either a japanaese cherry , japanese rowan ora golden rain (laburnum)

has anyone any advice on my selections?

km79

buying trees tomorrow. is there anything elsi i need to buy there e.g. compost?
how long should it take tp plant each tree?
finally can trees be left in pots overnight and planted the following morning?

touts

km79 wrote: »

buying trees tomorrow. is there anything elsi i need to buy there e.g. compost?
how long should it take tp plant each tree?
finally can trees be left in pots overnight and planted the following morning?

Get good quality general purpose compost. You will also need stakes to support the trees until they take hold (if the trees are big and in an exposed area you will need large stakes driven into the ground if they are small and in a sheltered spot then a couple of bamboo or artificial supports might do). Water the tree in the pot so it is good and moist when planted. Dig the hole twice the size of the pot so the tree has plenty of freshly turned soil to root into. Work out how you are going to line up the tree for best effect and from that where you will be putting the stake (so it is as close as possible to the trunk without driving it through the heart of the rootball). Drive in the stake (if you are using bamboo as mentioned above no need to do this as you can carefully push them in later). Line the base of the hole with compost. Gently take the tree out of the pot and plant. Fill around it with a mix of compost and soil. Make sure to firm the compost/soil as you fill it in. Water very well and as it's summer you will need to water daily for the first week and at least every two days for the first month. It's a pain in the arse but if you don't you'll be digging up the dead ones next spring.

How long to plant each tree? Digging the hole, Staking, Planting, Watering..... 30 minutes. 45 if you want to enjoy the experience and listen to the radio.

Can the trees be left in a pot overnight. Yes. They have probably been in a pot for weeks (months in some garden centres). However be sure to water well each day until you plant them. Also make sure they can't be blown over in the wind during the night.

km79

thanks very much great advie

touts

One more thing to get. Plant ties. I've had a few occaisions when I have finished planting and go to tie it to the stake only to discover I've nothing to tie them up with and then I'm searching in the shed to find something. Ask the garden centre to throw them in with the trees. If you are buying enough trees ask them for stakes as well. No harm asking.

km79

thanks got 2 of the trees today. got strong stakes and ties.
is it too breezy to plant today?
regarding depth do i dig as deep as the pot as a rough guide?

touts

As long as it's not blowing a gale then you should be ok. If anything it will help because you'll get a feel for the pressure the tree will be under and how well it needs to be staked & firmed into the ground. Just keep an eye on them to make sure they aren't moving in the ground

I would go at least 50% more than the depth of the pot. Unless it's really hard ground once you are down that far you shouldn't have too much difficulty going a bit further. That way you can improve the soil all around the root ball and make sure there isn't a big rock or start of a load of builders waste just below the tree waiting to stunt it's growth.

km79

I ve a feeling ill be running out of soil that deep thanks for the help ill give it a go and hope for the best

HardyEustace

Would you try and integrate more native irish trees into the mix? I don't have the room in my little garden but would absolutely love to be able to plant some mountain ash, birch and poplar.

Maybe this link would be useful?

km79

i have another big lawn to the back that ill put native species in.
the birch i planted yesterday was still there this morning after lasts nights winds:D