[sjohanna]

Hi and thank you in advance for anybody answering to my post/question!!

With my partner, we just started the front garden of the house which was a blank canvas!

Planning, drawing, buying, planting... and it starts to look like something! It has flower, shapes etc. Much less boring, and very interesting to see the progress, the growing etc. There is still work to do, in the flower bed and on the back wall.



In our plan, we want to put a tree in the right hand side corner.

Our first idea was a strawberry tree, but it's not very easy to find. I found one for €12 but only 30cm and the shop said that it would take 2 years to reach 1m.

I know that gardening requires patience, but we would like to have this wall in the back covered with an evergreen hedge (in planning) and I think it would look odd if the tree in the corner is smaller than the hedge...

I really like the strawberry tree and I think I found a bigger one on the site dyg.ie - http://www.dyg.ie/item/strawberry-tree - (does anybody know this site?) for €19. I asked the size, no reply for the moment.

Other ideas are (let me know what you think):
- Magnolia 'Jane' or Magnolia x soulangeana
- Luma apiculata (Synonum: Myrtus luma)
- Eriobotrya japonica (Loquat, Japanese plum)
- 'Charles Joly' Lilac
- Cornus 'Eddie's White Wonder' (dogwood)
- Pink flowering dogwood
- Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan, Mountain ash, an Caorthann (Irish)


I need your input because you might know which one of these trees will like this place better etc.

Thank you!

[Foxylock]

You need something compact for that position. Look at the sorbus, sumachs,Hollies and some of the smaller magnolias. I have a sorbus called " Josephs rock " and it is a fantastic specimen and medium sized.

[sjohanna]

Thank you Foxylock. I concentrated on small trees today and that was the first time I came accross the Sorbus.

I quite like the Aucuparia, native from Ireland with the red berries.

I don't think this is very common either (important for me - a reason why I like the Strawberry Tree - quite compact as well).

The birds are probably loving it as well?

[kindredspirit]

Large Strawberry Tree here.

http://www.instantplants.ie/categories_list_details.php?ID=38

It's a beautiful tree.

[sjohanna]

Great! Thanks!

But..... do you know this place? I can't find a contact (email, number), an address or any information on how to buy on the site.

Aaah, I just understood that they have the list of the Garden Centres that sells their products. We'll have to call them to see if they have strawberry trees and which sizes.

Good tip anyway!

[Sive]

I think an Amelanchier would be perfect for you.......I think it's a wonderful small tree with beautiful blossom, and not as widely known as it should be.

[sjohanna]

Yes, indeed!

I've seen this tree today on the dyg site but I put it down for the hedge...
It might be better in the corner now that I saw more pictures...

It seems to be a quick growing as they are selling it for €35 at 1m50!

Thanks!

[sjohanna]

And how about a Japanese Maple?

Does it grow well in Ireland? Their colours in Autumn are really stunning...

An other question is: do you think we should continue our hedge on the back wall even behing the tree in the corner or stop it to let it breath?

How far from the hedge/wall should we plant the tree?

Thank you!

[Sunflower]

Hi sjohanna

Two years in but I'm interested in your post - wondering how the tree, whatever it was, has worked out?
I've room for two new small trees in my mothers garden and I'm wondering what to use - one will be a cherry tree, her choice, but we're undecided as the rest. We have a beautiful whitebeam in our own garden but it gets so big and this is an urban garden. I want small but still a tree, not a tree=like shrub...you only get one chance to pick the right one!

What did you plant in the end and how is it doing?? Did the strawberry tree win??

[AtomicOrbital]

Japanese Maple is lovely. I picked a bloodgood variety but a a greener one might be nicer in hindsight as it changes from green to red in autumn. Red to redder isn't much of a change! Note: They're sensitive to wind. If there's a wind tunnel effect in your garden it'll need to be sheltered. It just burns the leaves off.

This is my next addition. On order! Google taihaku. It's only flowered for a week or two in may time frame. It's a love small tree with a natural flat top all year round tho.

[sjohanna]

Oh, I am sorry I didn't see the extra questions!

We planted an Amelanchier et it's lovely!

I had been cutting the shoots which were coming at the base every spring, but it is a multi-stem tree after all, and the shoot I left has grown very tall in just 2 years (2m30). The main part of tree itself (we got a tall tree in a pot) didn't grow so much.

The flowers are lovely in Spring, and then we get berries which are tasty but the birds love them too so they are usually the one having a feast

The only downside is that after the berries, the leaves get white from mildew and the tree loose its glory. Their colour is nice in autumn though.

I've seen one in the area which is quite tall (4m I would say) so I think it will mature very well in this corner if we keep the hedge back.

I don't have many recent pictures:




--> in 2013, summer. (In the back)

[sjohanna]

And we also got a Strawberry Tree, but kept it in a container as it was too "slow growing" for that corner.

Unfortunately, it didn't survive one of the winters... and died

We are now wondering what to plant in our back garden! I opened a new subject.