Plant advice...

[mrusk]

We are moving along with this job. I need some advice on what to plant in the large flower pots.

Also we need a large tree on each side of the walkway where it meets the front stoop. What would you guys recommened?


Oh btw I got 35 pink creeping plox to grow over the rock wall.

[Harmony Design Group]

For the pots you can do some annuals or a topiary with annuals under. How about some Dragon Lady Holly by the front porch. If you want an deciduous tree maybe fastigate hornbeam.

[mrusk]

Whats funny harmony is my arky originally speced a hornbeam. But since we moved the walkway curve 5' closer to the house then the plan. And since we left the maple that he wanted us to remove, I don't think the 2" caliper tree he speced will work.

Deer like the holleys here.

[mrusk]

Right here is the area I need to pick 2 trees for. We have about 6' from the step to where the sod starts.


Against the house we went with some kind of hybrid blue spruce that is suppose to get 5' wide 12' tall. I am not sure of the name right now.

[mrusk]

Do hornbeams really get 25' wide? And after how many years is that?


We really need something to take the attention away from the massive brick entry way

[Harmony Design Group]

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/QUEROBB.pdf
try this

[Harmony Design Group]

http://www.delmarlearning.com/companions/content/0766836347/pdf/Bridwell_493.pdf
or this

[Harmony Design Group]

By the way you never said anything about deer. I will look to see what else would work.
I also like Japanese tree lilac
http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/SYRRETB.pdf

[custom patios]

you said you dont mind big.
how about a Chinese Fringe Tree(Chionanthus Retusus). Would be stunning in front. Or even the Chionanthus Virginicus. I think that would work up there where you are. I really like those larger boulders you used. Much more natural looking. I also think that color soldier course adds a very nice touch which the flagstone. Thats a sharp looking walkway.

[custom patios]

too bad that one maple is crammed up against that house. DONT YOU JUST HATE WHEN YOU SEE IDIOTS PLANT SUCH NICE TREES UP THE HOUSE'S ASS!?!

[MuirView Design]

Right here is the area I need to pick 2 trees for. We have about 6' from the step to where the sod starts.


Against the house we went with some kind of hybrid blue spruce that is suppose to get 5' wide 12' tall. I am not sure of the name right now.

The spruce is called Blue Totem.

For the entrance, Dragon Lady Holly would be the more traditional choice.

I would also consider the Cupressina Norway Spruce, which would give you the same growth habit as the Dragon Lady and maintain the formal darker green tone, but be something different than what everyone else uses.

I've also seem some really nice Hinoki Topiaries that would be different, but less formal.

[Harmony Design Group]

Thuja Green Giant are suppose to be deer resistant.

[mrusk]

You guys know your stuff. We are going for less formal. I am looking up these plants as we speak.

[-EGLC-]

Matt that looks really nice man

[ClearValley]

If you want someting differnt maybe a Viburnum Pragenese, it's an evergreen, thick glossy foliage , white flowers in late april early May. Is it for the area to either side of the door in the third pic. The viburnum would be less formal IMO

[Harmony Design Group]

something smaller and multi stem would be magnolia stellata

[mrusk]

Here is a better pic. You can see the location where the blue totem will be going. Its about 4' tall. When its full gone it may be tight fit there but the client wants to block that window on the right from the road.

I like the Cupressina Norway Spruce that adam posted. Do you guys think it will look werid having the blue totem in the back then 15-16 feet in front of it having the cupressina?


BTW I know nothing about plants.

[mrusk]

BTW originally hardscape plan had 2 steps leading to the landing instead of one. But at 300 bucks a slab we decided to save the money and just do one step. Now seeing everything graded I wish I had that extra elevation change in the front bed. Its hard to do boulder work when the ground is flat.

[Harmony Design Group]

I like a deciduous tree better something that could have some up lighting.

[mrusk]

Harmony- I like the shape of the fastigate hornbeam. If I plant 1.5-2" caliper trees, how long will it take until they are to large for the area? The landing is 12' wide. I'd proably plant each tree 3 feet over from the walkway. So the trees would be 18' apart.

[Harmony Design Group]

a long time!! maybe 10-15 years before its a problem.

[4seasons]

Matt....
look up Cleveland select pear or chanticleer pear.
2 multi stem service berries would also look nice.
Can you get big sky pencil hollies? 8ft tall x 3ft wide.

[4seasons]

also somewhere in front, to the right of the entrance you need another red leafed tree to balance it out. odd numbers look better.

[ClearValley]

Matt....
look up Cleveland select pear or chanticleer pear.
2 multi stem service berries would also look nice.
Can you get big sky pencil hollies? 8ft tall x 3ft wide.

Are you familar w/ Red Spire Pear ,it's similar but even a bit more narrow then the Chanticleer...
How bout
Pinus Parviflora !2-12' slow growing blue green needles great cones
Styrax Japonica or Stewartia? how much sun does the spot get?

[mrusk]

Here is where we stand.

BTW the nursurey did not sell me a blue totem. They sold me a bakeriv(by the front door). And now I am confused. They told me it gets a max width of 6' which is fine. But I have found some websites that confirm that. While other sites are saying 15' width which would not be good. Whats the deal?

[4seasons]

like the mature shrubs.
Bakeri spruce are said to get that wide but it takes forever.
needcolor other than the few perenials tho

[JZap]

Bakeri will be fine there. As mentioned it will take 30 years with absolutely no maintenance to get to that spec. Also, depending on the exposure and your location it most likely is not growing at the rate mentioned in most information sheets.
While the Bakeri will one day fill that wall... it will never do it's job there for a number of years. It might have been better to choose a Picea Pungens Fastigata (Narrow blue spruce), Bizon Blue Spruce (Bizon Nurseries out west), or a Fat Albert. Some of these get a little wider, but again are slow growers.

[mrusk]

I think I learned more about plants on this one job then all the other jobs i've done combined.

The bakeri will stay where it is unless I find another place on site to put them.

We have decided to rip out the burning bush on the right side of the house. We agree that we need something red in color to complement the maples. We can't spend 2k on a large maple so what would you recommened?


Also on each side of the walkway we have now decided we want some kind of weeping tree. We want something that will form a canopy above the walkway. Almost like a tunnell. Any ideas?

[CaptainsLS]

At the foot of the walk by the drive? Not much room there by the looks of it, How bout just getting one of those cheepo steel/iron arbors. Cement it in and get some wisteria....you will have your canopy in no time with some nice foliage to go with it.

[mrusk]

At the foot of the walk by the drive? Not much room there by the looks of it, How bout just getting one of those cheepo steel/iron arbors. Cement it in and get some wisteria....you will have your canopy in no time with some nice foliage to go with it.


Not by the driveway. In the area where the walk hits the landing where we were talking about putting hornbeams.

[ClearValley]

may try sedum (stonecrop) in the rocks. Great color year round and can handle the dryness that the juniper prefer Sedum cauticola , repestre Angelina , spurium 'Fulda Glow' and spurium 'Red Carpet' are all nice very low maintenence

[Harmony Design Group]

for red color you could use weiglea
a weeping tree might not be the right choice. You will have problems walking under it. How about a Zelkova or a kousa dogwood.

[mrusk]

Would you be against a purple leaf plumb on the right corner of the house?

[MuirView Design]

I don't think a weeper will give you a canopy effect. Some of my choices for there would be Natchez Crape Myrtles, Flowering Crab Apples, Eastern Redbuds or maybe tri-color Beeches. Nice big Service Berries (Amelanchier Autumn Brilliance) would be a nice choice too.

[4seasons]

Only problems with purple plums are cankers and jap. beetles. other than that their fine.
Wish we could grow crapemyrtle. There are nice red leafed crabs or go with another maple just down size. Forest Pansy redbud also has reddish leaves.

[mrusk]

Spent sometime reading up on hormbeams and it turns out deer like them. So they are out.

[Harmony Design Group]

Hornbeams are not a problem as long as the branching is higher then 5'. Deer will eat most deciduous trees but if the foliage is higher then 5' you are ok.

[mrusk]

Ok here is a update. We took trip two to the plant supplier today. This time I took mrs. homeowner. She is insisting on something weeping instead of hornbeams. She fell in love with the weeping redbuds. My guy has two 7 footers in stock. How big will these get?

[mrusk]

Ok here is a update. We took trip two to the plant supplier today. This time I took mrs. homeowner. She is insisting on something weeping instead of hornbeams. She fell in love with the weeping redbuds. My guy has two 7 footers in stock. How big will these get?

Scratch the weeping redbud. The deer will eat that.

I am want to put cleveland select pears in the front. Then on the corner of the house would be a plumb. Would it look weire having taller trees in the center of the house then on the corners?

[Meanix]

Thats a good one matt. I don't know much about plants

[mrusk]

Errrr was I drunk when I typed that last post? wtf

[4seasons]

no






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[mrusk]

no






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on what tree?

[MuirView Design]

Matt, just to clarify :D

[mrusk]

LOL I should know since I am a big fan of this.