Tree or Not to Tree?

barker196

I'm looking to maybe add a tree to my garden but would appreciate your views please.  
My garden is around 10m long from the log store to the Leylandii and is North facing.  We have just set out a flower bed on the right but I'm thinking something like a Cherry Blossom might add some character to the garden and also block out the view of the house we can see on the right a bit.  

My thoughts are planting the tree in a bit from the right as I'm thinking if i put it in the flowerbed it will overhang next doors garden in time.  I've also been told that tree's suck all the moisture out of the soil so plants don't do so well near a tree.  But if I plant in by around 3 metres so it's where the grass is now, say next to the birdbath would it look odd?

I don't want a tree that's going to be huge, maybe the height of the Leylandii or smaller?

Any help appreciated, thakyou

Obelixx

First of all ask yourself how much time the people in that house actually spend upstairs craning their necks at odd angles to peer into your garden.  If you're worried about them gazing at your children playing on that trampoline, try moving it into the far corner against that very high conifer hedge.   

A tree would certainly add some interest to your garden but it's very difficult to find one that stays small, doesn't cast too much shade, lets you walk past without being poked in the eye and earns its keep by having more than one brief season of interest.  Have a look at smaller forms of rowan which have spring blossom, good foliage from spring to leaf fall and berries for birds.   If you go for a cherry, choose one with good bark such as prunus serrula.

I think you should consider installing a pergola instead.  It could lead down the right side of your garden to an arbour and give you a sheltered seating area.  You can grow climbers up and across it and you can plant suitable plants for colour/form/perfume beneath it.  It won't grow higher than you want and will break up the view of that house.

barker196

Thankyou Obelixx some good suggestions there.  The garden was very overgrown and secluded when we moved in but we cut down a huge fur and some Laurel as they'd all grown to big.  I'm not reallly worried about the house looking into my garden, just trying to make my view slightly better.  The bottom right of the garden is the sunniest part of the garden so had thought of putting seats down there and maybe a pergola running down could give me the height i'm after. Thanks again

jonathan.cole

You might also find an amelanchier that would work. Allegedly OK north facing, and they give blossom, fruit and autumn colour.

newprojectgarden

How about a fruit tree, such as apple? You and your children could watch it grow over the years. You could select the rootstock for the aprox required size and could also prune it to control its size. It will also have a nice blossom in the spring.

It would however take a chunk of your garden. Any tree will though I guess. The grass beneath the tree will likely be patchy as well, however you could plant bulbs such as daffodils, snowdrops, cyclamens under the tree which would come out at different times.

Or just plant another Leylandii hedge to block the neighbours view ;P It will grow in no time!

StephenSouthwest

I'd be wary of cherry, because of the way it roots. Apple, birch, crabapple, plum all come to mind instead...

Dovefromabove

Plum will sucker like cherry does. 

I’d go for a multistemmed amelanchier, crab apple or Rowan. 

Crazybeelady

Dovefromabove said:

Plum will sucker like cherry does. 

What does this mean please @Dovefromabove? 

Cambridgerose12

In terms of a nice view along the garden, I could see an argument for having a narrow small tree at the far end, framed against the dark hedge. There are nice columnar forms you could choose from. The right hand side is more complex to solve, because putting a tree there will visually narrow your garden. In your shoes, I’d be inclined to grow some sort of climber over the whole of that right hand fence which looks so bare. You could choose something whose colours went with the brick behind, and it would make the boundary less harsh without eating into your garden. I’d think of things like Lonicera and/or the rose ‘Ghislaine de Feligonde’.

barker196

Great advice everyone I'll try and update what we decide. Thankyou all

Dovefromabove

Crazybeelady said:

Dovefromabove said:

Plum will sucker like cherry does. 

What does this mean please @Dovefromabove? 

Sorry, I missed your question ... suckering means the tendency for some species, prunus being one, to grow new plants from their roots that are near the surface ... resulting in a thicket if not regularly cut or mowed.