Skip laurel I planted last September look a bit rough-- deer were feeding on them over the winter (rough winter), but I am pleased to see them flower/berry!

Adding a raised bed over a densely surface-rooted tre. Will result in a raised bed full of dense roots within a year or two, so it wouldn’t solve that particular issue at all. I had a tree fill a whiskey barrel planter with roots, growing up through the drain holes.

Wow— that’s crazy! Never would have thought of that! Thank you!

Red twig dogwood even at maturity will be far too small to provide any privacy from that house. You need to start thinking about shrubs at least 15 ft tall and wide and some trees interspersed in the 20-40 ft range.

Given the abundance of deer, existing mature trees, and lack of “depth” of my yard— finding suitable shrubs has been a challenge

the plan is to go mostly Skip Laurel. Right now I have:

3 Prague viburnum circling mature oak

1 redbud tree

2 skip laurel

(space beneath Sweetgum tree)

3 skip laurel

2 new RT Dogwood

im always open for advice/suggestions!

I’m in zone 6b/7

sourthern part of north NJ

back to the thought of a raised bed-- I get it that roots will infiltrate it. What about planters or an elevated planter (like this: https://raisedbeds.com/long-elevated-cedar-garden/)

What deer resistant, 'shade loving' plants would work in there? I would have obvious issues with supporting the legs on the elevated planter, but I am trying to determine if anything would want to grow there... :)

My red-twig -- nice, but not exactly much for privacy. Tends to sprawl: