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Middle of the lawn rule for trees?
We have a very open front lawn which i would love to make a bit more disguised with a tree in the middle however when i look this up online the message seems to be don't plant a tree in the centre of the lawn.
I feel it will look odd if planted to one side!
Is it okay to plant in the middle, i'm planning to keep it under control with pruning when it gets to the desired size.
I feel it will look odd if planted to one side!
Is it okay to plant in the middle, i'm planning to keep it under control with pruning when it gets to the desired size.
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Can't think why you wouldn't plant it in the centre. Better there than in a border overhanging someone else's boundary. Offset from the centre would be no good for those of us with OCD tendencies!
I say go for it, dead centre. Get as mature a tree as you can afford. A grass free mulched circular zone around it can look smart too.2 -
It is challenging to have pristine green lawn right up to the the trunk of a tree - you may have bare spots (some trees, including walnut, repress the grass around the trunk) or roots which are on the surface and don't want to be mowed. But with either a grass free ring around the trunk or a more as-it-comes sort of lawn I think it works well.Only challenge is if you like trees and have taken the one centre spot where do you put the next ones?But a banker, engaged at enormous expense,Had the whole of their cash in his care.
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It's your lawn. Do what you want. I would suggest that you choose a tree of appropriate final size, rather than rely on pruning.
I visit a place with a spectacular magnolia right in the centre of a lawn. The downside is that the grass does not grow well near the trunk. I am trying to get some bulbs going
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Assuming no covenants or bylaws, it depends on how much you care about the opinions of others - you could have a yellow house with neon green door if you wanted to...
The only things I'd want to check is where drainage/water runs (check where the water tap is in the house/street and the drains are probably a direct line from your main waste pipe to road) and that the 'middle' of the lawn is at least 10m away from the house (or check your insurance for the distance you need to declare).
Mine are towards the edges (about 1.5m from the boundary, which should be about half the size of the canopy for the rootstock) as it meant I could have moreI'm not an early bird or a night owl; I’m some form of permanently exhausted pigeon.1 -
Have a look at the RHS website for small trees for gardens. I have just planted a single stemmed Amalanchier. As for where, I’m going to buck the common view here and say plant it where it will give you the screening effect you want - if that’s dead centre, so be it. If not 🤷♀️ just visually anchor it with some shrubs near to it.When it comes to planting trees or other woody things, the mycorrhizal fungi you can get in the garden centre in pelleted form added to the roots when planting, make a big difference especially if planting in relatively uncultivated or stale soil. And one full can of water a week to the roots right through its first growing season 😊
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Sounds lovely!
If you don't want a raggedy lawn under then use block pavers, cobbles, etc in a decorative circle around it. Bulbs will grow theough them if the foliage isnt too dense.
My greatly missed gardening neighbour often said, buy the tree you want and prune to size.I can rise and shine - just not at the same time!
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You should check that the roots of whatever tree you choose won’t spread to, and damage, the foundations of the house - roots can extend to double the height of the tree, depending on the species. You should also check for any pipes/drainage running under the lawn or close by.2.22kWp Solar PV system installed Oct 2010, Fronius IG20 Inverter, south facing (-5 deg), 30 degree pitch, no shadingEverything will be alright in the end so, if it’s not yet alright, it means it’s not yet the endMFW #4 OPs: 2018 £866.89, 2019 £1322.33, 2020 £1337.07
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Frank99 said:We have a very open front lawn which i would love to make a bit more disguised with a tree in the middle however when i look this up online the message seems to be don't plant a tree in the centre of the lawn.
I feel it will look odd if planted to one side!
Is it okay to plant in the middle, i'm planning to keep it under control with pruning when it gets to the desired size.
or you can do something like this, this is located in our backyard but can be done in the front too ..
"My gardening illustrates my artistic passion with plants" - GreenBucket242 -
If I was going to plant a tree in the middle of the lawn I'd make sure it had a good metre wide soil bed around it with some nice metal edging. That way the lawn will be easier to cut and the tree will have space ad it matures. It will also look neat as a bonus. I;d also make sure th eedging is lower than the grass itself as that too makes it easier to mow in my experience. Some edging ideas here too https://www.relentlessgardener.co.uk/edging-a-lawn/0
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GreenBucket24 said:Frank99 said:We have a very open front lawn which i would love to make a bit more disguised with a tree in the middle however when i look this up online the message seems to be don't plant a tree in the centre of the lawn.
I feel it will look odd if planted to one side!
Is it okay to plant in the middle, i'm planning to keep it under control with pruning when it gets to the desired size.
or you can do something like this, this is located in our backyard but can be done in the front too ..0
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