Tall fast growing trees for privacy but safe near houses - suggestions please?

cyclonebri1

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Just as an aside, as a person with neighbours myself, I have to say that I would look upon apple, plum and cherry or Japanese maple trees more benignly than some godawful coniferous weed.

:TTotally agree with that, and I know I said no tree would be acceptable at 30ft from the building, but silver birch and even more suitable weeping silver birch would be ideal and attractive to all sides.

Anyway the op has his tree(s), but it's worth mentioning.

Leif

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

and I know I said no tree would be acceptable at 30ft from the building, but silver birch and even more suitable weeping silver birch would be ideal and attractive to all sides.

You do know how big silver birch grows don't you?

alleycat`

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Just as an aside, as a person with neighbours myself, I have to say that I would look upon apple, plum and cherry or Japanese maple trees more benignly than some godawful coniferous weed.

Sort of take your point on this but poorly maintained fruit trees are just as much of a hazard / hassle as a Leylandii (which gives most conifers a bad name).

My Parents neighbours have two apple trees which have ruined their garage roof (neighbours, not my parents).

On the flip side, I've got seven conifers in my Garden, none of which are above seven feet tall and most are a decade old. The birds love them / nest in them but, they take looking after.

My parents conifers are more than 30 years old and none of them are above 9 feet tall and again the little birds love them (and they haven't ruined their garage roof).

Some things aren't practical to be planted in certain locations but Conifers get a bad rap when a lot of it comes down to poor maintenance.

Davesnave

[QUOTE=alleycat`;55947161

My Parents neighbours have two apple trees which have ruined their garage roof (neighbours, not my parents).


Some things aren't practical to be planted in certain locations but Conifers get a bad rap when a lot of it comes down to poor maintenance.[/QUOTE]

This is the point I was making. Trees aren't a 'plant & forget' thing.

In my last garden, next to my beautifully-maintained hedge of leylandii, was the neighbour's Bramley apple, which was many decades old and preceded the houses. This had to be cut back hard every 5 or 6 years, or it would have begun to damage greenhouses and block light generally. The apples were lovely, but we took our life in our hands passing under that tree, as the fruit, often huge things weighing almost 1lb, would hurtle down from a great height at this time of year.

It's worth remembering that trees can be cut down completely when they get too large to cope with. I'm planting a copse at the moment, but I doubt if all the trees in there will make it to full size. Some will like the situation & do well, while others may find it less hospitable. and they'll be the ones that go. Meanwhile, the windbreak effect will be better.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

alleycat` wrote: »

Some things aren't practical to be planted in certain locations but Conifers get a bad rap when a lot of it comes down to poor maintenance.

That and being comparitively boring slabs of dull green year round.

No blossom in spring, no dappled light in summer, no fruit, no firey glowing jewelbright shades in Autumn and no starkly beautiful bare branches silhouetted against the winter full moon.

alleycat`

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

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That and being comparitively boring slabs of dull green year round.

No blossom in spring, no dappled light in summer, no fruit, no firey glowing jewelbright shades in Autumn and no starkly beautiful bare branches silhouetted against the winter full moon.

Think this is a agree to disagree moment.
There are lots of variants and colours.
They don't have to be slabs of dark green leylandii.

Many variants produce cones and look fantastic with frost on them.
Each to their own.

cyclonebri1

Leif wrote: »

You do know how big silver birch grows don't you?

Yep and looking at all available info 30ft should be ok, but I did temper that by saying Weeping silver birch, they are more dwarf. I planted 2 about 15 years ago, I do have a large garden, they are now about 14/15 feet high and look gorgeous all year round.

Nearest 1 is 16 ft from my left hand neighbours house, but thats tough as they built that place only 10 years ago, after the trees were well established.
There bigger worry would be the 2 x 25ft pear trees, (yes, 25ft) I have and the 2 specimen conifers. These 2 are now at least to the apex of their roof which I reckon is 30 ft.
But again, they were there when they built the other house:A:A:A

cyclonebri1

alleycat` wrote: »

Think this is a agree to disagree moment.
There are lots of variants and colours.
They don't have to be slabs of dark green leylandii.

Many variants produce cones and look fantastic with frost on them.
Each to their own.

The issue should be to choose conifers that do not need constant pruning and maintainance, and they are few and far between.

Yes some of the "blue" varieties are nice, very nice, but unless you consider a "globosa" varient then they still head for the sky and nothing looks worse than a decapitated conifer.

I have a blue atlantic cedar that is only 5 years old, it looks great but at 10ft high and 15ft from a new conservatory it goes next year after 1 more winter out of it;)


And don't get me started on so called dwarf conifers, the definition seems to be accepted as something that will not grow to more than 10 feet in 15 years, that's hardly dwarf imho;);)

alleycat`

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

And don't get me started on so called dwarf conifers, the definition seems to be accepted as something that will not grow to more than 10 feet in 15 years, that's hardly dwarf imho;);)

It'd certainly make snow white a very different story :rotfl:

cyclonebri1

alleycat` wrote: »

It'd certainly make snow white a very different story :rotfl:

Big root, big root :rotfl:, if you get my drift:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: