Small trees for garden, fast growing - or climber??

cyclonebri1

As Dave was saying, 10ft is shrub territory, not really in the trees job description.

It is just about possible to keep a weeping silver birch to that height if you keep on top of it in the early years.

I know from your earlier comments you would probably like that, we have 2, they are also cut with a tunnel through the arching branches that gives the grandkids some fun. Root spread is less than most true trees too.

bells_on_it

I did love my silver birch, its not the weeping kind, but they are very elegant. I will look into the weeping variety. When you say keep on to what do you mean by that? And are they fast growing?

I was looking at small acers last night, japanese maple variety etc, and also the Cherry tree, though when I looked further on RHS site it suggested they grow very tall? But this could have been the standard size?

I guess 10ft is maybe a bit on the small side (my concept of height can be pretty bad sometimes), So I'm thinking the fencing at the back of my garden is probably around the 6ft mark, I guess something thats foliage starts around that height, perhaps slightly lower, then the height is more to to with blocking the sun and being manageable, and also not getting too wide. My garden I would say is about 10m wide by about 25m long, so a tree that got too wide would be too much, and am also trying to consider things like roots.

Really sorry for the waffling and lack of clarity.

I guess what I'm looking for is an elegant, small ish tree, that doesn't have huge roots, doesn't grow too wide, is interesting to look at, and has some movement in the wind. I don't want the trunk to be too wide either as my garden isn't that wide. Thinking about it I probably should avoid berries as have an enquisitive 1 year old who seems to put everything in his mouth....

Then on the shrub/climber front, I would be looking again for something that grew tall and flowers.

I'm not a huge fan of conifers.

cyclonebri1

bells_on_it wrote: »

I did love my silver birch, its not the weeping kind, but they are very elegant. I will look into the weeping variety. When you say keep on to what do you mean by that? And are they fast growing?

.

When I said keep on toP of it I mean you need to look at the shape the tree is starting to form, and if necessary, take out any vertical growth abobe the height you want to "stop" it at.

Or alternatively, if no major limbs hang over at that height you may have to train them downwards.

This is what DaveS was saving when he said they wanted some manipulation or similar.

Like Bonsai but on a greater scale:D:D

Silver Birch are a favourite of mine, the weeping variety is great for a smaller garden, but the slim elegance of the standard SB can't be beaten.


Old adage;

"He who plants trees thinks of others than himself"

Dammed If I can remember who famously said it:)

I_have_spoken

I'm looking for is an elegant, small ish tree, that doesn't have huge roots, doesn't grow too wide, is interesting to look at, and has some movement in the wind.

Some of the well-behaved bamboos would fit the bill.

I also like Eucalyptus gunnii, but that's one you'd definitely need to prune. I've been told if you prune the leader when it's about 4m high and nick the lower bark then it'll put out side shoots.

cyclonebri1

I_have_spoken wrote: »

Some of the well-behaved bamboos would fit the bill.

I also like Eucalyptus gunnii, but that's one you'd definitely need to prune. I've been told if you prune the leader when it's about 4m high and nick the lower bark then it'll put out side shoots.

Unless I am very much mistaken Eucalyptus would be the worst choice possible for this location, it's a rain forest tree.

Just checked, to quote wikywhatnot;

" Fast-growing, it will produce a tree up to 37 m (121 ft) tall when mature,[4] with growth rates of up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) (rarely 2 m (6 ft 7 in)) per year. "

Small garden, NOT.

Leif

Davesnave wrote: »

Cotoneaster cornubia is almost evergreen and produces flowers/berries of wildlife value,

Cotoneaster franchetii is another nice one, almost evergreen, attractive leaves, berries for the tweeters. And privet - Ligustrum ovalifolium. And there are other hedging plants. My Weigela grows like the clappers, but a young one would be slower growing. Japanese Quince - deciduous - is lovely. Or a 2 year old bush fruit tree, such as a quince - Cydonia - not evergreen, but quite tall when bought, and they top out at about 3.5m if you get the smaller rootstock. Cherry has nice flowers in spring, but it must be on dwarfing rootstock.