Do you have a size in mind? Evergreen or deciduous? What is the climate zone of 'central Georgia'?

i'm in zone 8. as far as size--maybe 3-4ft tall? something like that. and how about both--evergreen and deciduous, so i can still have something green in the wintertime. (or what we call winter... haha)

Another thought might be some type of trellis or tripod with any evergreen vine such as confederate jasmine comes to mind. I plan to use some in containers on my deck to screen a neighbor building next door and as a little wind break from north winds in winter. Plenty cold hardy for all zone 8 might even bloom some mid spring (nice fragrance:)mmmm... just a thought. Will take shade well for the rest of the season.
Happy Planting David

I have two trees in 20" containers. This will be their 4th year in the yard.
Chokeberry & Purple Leaf Plum.
The Chokeberry has white flowers in the Spring. In Autumn the leaves turn yellow/orange and there are red berries in the winter. The birds like the berries - especially the Mockingbirds. This year I had some Robins arrive early (Feb 4th!) and they ate all the berries on the tree.
This is the Chokeberry in May 2003-shortly after I bought it:
{{gwi:11936}}

This is in October-the same year:
{{gwi:11938}}

The tree is now a little over 5 feet tall (in the pot).

The Purple Leaf Plum has pink flowers the have a nice fragrance. In the Fall the leaves turn red. I bought it the same time as the Chokeberry.

Here's how it looked in May 2003-
{{gwi:11939}}

Closeup of flowers (April 2006)
{{gwi:11940}}

Fall 2003
(see how much it grew?)
{{gwi:11941}}

so containers would be the best way to start trees?
or would it be better to start them directly in the ground?
dave

amjs, that's very small....you are looking for shrubs then, perhaps pruned to look like tiny trees. Lots of possibilities there! In that kind of limited light, you could do azaleas. Keep them shrub-like or limb them up to expose a trunk. Pittosporum works great that way, too. Camellia.

dave, containers aren't 'necessarily' the best way to start trees! Well, not the 'only way'. As a former nursery person, I admit that it's the only way that I'll get them going.

The benefits are enormous. With the right potting medium, you can achieve a much faster growth rate in containers than in the soil. That's helpful when you are dealing with tiny grafts or cuttings. Control over nutrient management, water, and pests are much easier when in containers, too.

However, if you don't provide them with a fast draining, coarse-textured soil and pay them the attention they need while in a container, they are better off in the ground. Some people just don't like to mess with containerized plants, period.

Well - it IS the Container Gardening Forum and the original post was about placing some trees on a deck.

My entire yard is brick. Everything is in pots - including my trees.

I was merely being helpful, outofspite. Organic dave asked a simple question and I gave him a fair answer.

((shrugs))
My comment wasn't really directed at you, rhizo.

outofspite: beautiful pictures! i'm in love with the purple leaf plum flowers.

rhizo_1: thanks for the suggestions. azaleas are all over here so i know those would do well. feel like giving me any further suggestions for something taller?

my in laws have oleander in their yard and i think it's beautiful. does anyone know if that would grow in a container with my kind of limited light?

Indica azaleas easily reach 5 feet tall and would do perfectly well in your location. In my mind, they are the most beautiful of azaleas, and the most aromatic. So many to choose from.

Oleanders can be grown in containers but would not bloom very well in low light. They are a FULL sun plant.

rhizo_1: thank you so much for all the helpful information!

I have two japanese maples in large pots on the deck here in north Georgia. They started as seedlings from the japanese maples in the front yard. They seem very happy.

I also have 4 blueberry bushes & a red blooming native honeysuckle vine that drapes over the railing.

Then I have 3 plants that have to come inside for the winter or for nights below freezing: a bougainvillea shrub, a mandevilla vine, and a large planter with 3 date palms I raised from pits of fresh dates.

I have a huge (well, maybe a story tall) willow in a pot, and it does wonderfully! I love how much presence it has on my patio. I would definitely recommend getting one if you like their look.

If you're still checking this thread, I wanted to share a great article about this very subject I found on Sunset Magazine's website.

Here is a link that might be useful: Article

Any suggestions for trees or shrubs for shade?