New layout for several deciduous trees

3 years ago

I've cut back a lot of wild trees on my property, giving myself a LOT of open space in my front yard. I actually cut everything back until I hit a natural border of American holly trees; a relatively attractive evergreen wall that can serve as a backdrop to everything else.

I can post pics tomorrow, if you like.

These holly trees are to the West, creating a barrier that's about 125' long. So anything that I plant in front of them will have direct sun from around 9am until 6pm (or whenever they're shaded by the holly trees).

Water shouldn't be an issue, I'll be installing sprinklers in this area after I plant the big stuff. I already have everything for it, I just have to lay it out and do the labor.

To the North is my house, and to the South I'm planting a Little Gem Magnolia, a Sweetbay Magnolia, and (3) Forever Goldy thujas that (I hope) will grow to be a nice barrier against the road.

There's a slope from North-to-South, but not too steep. Like, if you kicked a ball it might roll all the way down, but if you fell down you wouldn't start rolling or anything :-O LOL

The soil in this area is mostly red clay (high iron), but this area was wild woods forever so the soil is a lot darker (from rotted leaves) than the rest of my lawn.

I have the following saplings that I can (and would like to) plant or transplant somewhere, so this area seems appropriate if I can come up with a plan for them:

(1) white dogwood

(1) witch hazel (technically a big shrub, I think)

(7) wild plum, a "gift" from my dad that I didn't really want, but here we are

(1) crape myrtle (grown from a cutting so I don't know the variety, but the mother had red flowers and was V-shaped, like a Dynamite. I can get more cuttings, though)

(2) eastern redbud

(1) I THINK is a sassafras, but I'm not positive

I also have Elderberry, Sunshine Ligustrum, Ever Red Fringe Flower, and Old Fashioned Weigela bushes from which I can take cuttings.

I was originally imagining some kind of grove of trees in the back with bushes in front of them, then tapering to edibles and flowers. But then money got tight, so I'm trying to repurpose what I already have to keep new purchases to a minimum.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
3 years ago
Sprinklers will be insufficient during the establishment phase- are you able to drag a hose regularly?
Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
Original Author
3 years ago
I rarely have a problem with water, but I can always run a soaker hose or something.

Here are pics. This is me standing about 20' in front of the house facing West:

Then standing in the same spot facing South:

There are still several trees in that South-facing pic that will come down in the next few days, the ones right next to the driveway. And I have a guy that's supposed to be grinding the stumps; he was supposed to come 2 weeks ago but got COVID! We just talked today, though, and he's supposed to be sending an employee on Monday.

But you can see that all of the trees around the perimeter are 50' or more, and the holly trees can get that tall.

The sassafras tree (if that's what it is) can get that tall, but everything else that I have should have a mature height of more like 20-30'. So I might stick the sassafras in close to the other wild trees, maybe fill in an empty spot? And then plant the others farther away.

I think that the wild plum and witch hazel are the smallest of the trees, so maybe the Eastern Redbuds on either end of the first pic, with the dogwood in the middle. Then the plum trees and witch hazel in front of those, more or less in a line. And then the crape myrtle... somewhere else.
Related Professionals
Atlantic City Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Auburn Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Parkersburg Landscape Contractors · Lafayette Landscape Contractors · Dallas Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Madison Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures · Rockford Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Vancouver Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Yuba City Landscape Contractors · Wenatchee Landscape Contractors · Austin Home Additions · Beatrice Home Additions · Middletown Home Additions · Bakersfield Home Additions · Rapid City Home Additions
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years ago
a sassafras leaf crushed in your hand.. should give you a momentary whiff of root beer ...

plant in a small depression ... big enough to lay down 2 or 3 gals of water ... so you can properly water your new trees and shrubs ...

it should actually be donut shaped.. planting the plant in the center at proper height.. so eventually when the donut fills with rotting mulch and eventually compost ...... when the plant is established and needs no more water. ... the plants is not planted too deep ..

NEVER rely on a sprinkler or drip when trying to establish trees and shrubs plantings ...

watering trees on acreage is much different than in tiny suburban lots.. where you can sit on the porch and spit on your trees ... plant so that you can apply the water you need for the first 2 years ... the key is keeping the roots moist.. a foot or two down... where ever they may be ... not surface watering ...

i basically had to leave 300 feet of hose laying across the 5 acres and every evening i would drag it to a different area to water ....

ken
Embothrium
3 years ago
Maybe find out what the rest of the existing trees are before continuing to scalp your lot - in these pictures it looks like most of them may actually be perfectly interesting and attractive kinds. And it also looks like you have already made a large clearing.
Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
Original Author
3 years ago
I have several trees against the driveway that are blocking sun from the drive, so when it snows or ices this area stays frozen for WEEKS. Which means that, while everyone else is out in a day or two, I'm usually stuck for awhile.

The guy that dropped the tree on my house was supposed to remove these trees next, but of course I'll never see him again. Then I hired another guy, but he got COVID and has been down for the last 2 weeks. He's supposed to be sending a guy one day this upcoming week, but I'm not holding my breath.