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Buying a mature tree- yes or no?

zugeniezugenie Posts: 632
edited January 2022 in Garden design
The reason I’m considering it is two fold, the first is that I really want a multi-stem tree as a feature and these seem to come as larger trees as standard, the second is our neighbours bedroom window looks right into our living room, and the neighbour has told us she can see right in! So the size would give us the bonus of instant privacy. I just want to make sure it isn’t a huge mistake as it is obviously more expensive to get a larger tree, the tree I am looking at getting is an amelanchier ‘robin hill’ as I’ve seen these recommended a lot for smaller gardens.

Edit// any tips for helping a larger tree to establish would be appreciated!!
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  • pansyfacepansyface PEAK DISTRICT DerbyshirePosts: 21,265
    edited January 2022
    So long as it’s the neighbour looking from her bedroom into your living room and not you looking from your living room into her bedroom.. Unless that’s your (and her) cup of tea. 🙂 Is the neighbour not keen to have a tree of her own? 😯
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
  • zugeniezugenie Posts: 632
    pansyface said:
    So long as it’s the neighbour looking from her bedroom into your living room and not you looking from your living room into her bedroom.. Unless that’s your (and her) cup of tea. 🙂 Is the neighbour not keen to have a tree of her own? 😯
    She has a very small garden so wouldn’t have the space, honestly all I can see of her bedroom is the window, I only know it’s her room because she told me! Whereas she can see right into our living room (and dining area) as she has told me 😬 We are lucky as it’s only one window from one house that overlooks.
  • pansyfacepansyface PEAK DISTRICT DerbyshirePosts: 21,265
    So roughly how far away from the foundations of your house and her house would this tree be planted? Could you do a little map maybe?
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
  • zugeniezugenie Posts: 632
    pansyface said:
    So roughly how far away from the foundations of your house and her house would this tree be planted? Could you do a little map maybe?
    6m from ours, about the same from hers as I’m planning to plant it 2m from the fence (our garden is 8m long)
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Wirral (free draining sandy soil)Posts: 1,760
    Hi @zugenie, unless you choose an evergreen tree, your nosy neighbour is going to be able to see into your living room for over 6 months of the year.  Plant the tree that you like for your own enjoyment and consider a contemporary style blind or shutter for your living room - that will cover all current needs😊!  A mature tree will be costly and will need closer attention than a younger tree (and send her the bill!)
  • pansyfacepansyface PEAK DISTRICT DerbyshirePosts: 21,265
    edited January 2022


    So it’s something like this. Neighbour’s boudoir is A , your living room is B, and the fence is C which is 6 metres away from both of you?

    Amelanchiers are deciduous, so no use to you for quite a bit of the year. And it’s going to have to be quite a height to block out her window.

    Using the phenomenon that is perspective, could you not plant a much smaller tree closer to your window? The closer an object, the bigger it appears to the viewer and all that.
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
  • zugeniezugenie Posts: 632
    Plantminded said:
    Hi @zugenie, unless you choose an evergreen tree, your nosy neighbour is going to be able to see into your living room for over 6 months of the year.  Plant the tree that you like for your own enjoyment and consider a contemporary style blind or shutter for your living room - that will cover all current needs😊!  A mature tree will be costly and will need closer attention than a younger tree (and send her the bill!)
    Hi plantminded, we have curtains but I don’t want any kind of shutter or blind as the room is north facing so would be so dark. It’s not as much of an issue in the winter as we’re working during the day then the curtains are closed at night, it’ll will be more of a problem in summer when we won’t want to have the curtains closed all evening. The tree would also give some privacy in the garden, which we’re obviously not in as much in the winter!
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Wirral (free draining sandy soil)Posts: 1,760
    I understand @zugenie.  It's a concern that I had when a new neighbour moved next door.  He was constantly appearing in the corner of his garden where he could see up to my patio.  As a remedy, I was out planting a line of fast growing shrubs alongside the patio to obliterate his view and heard a voice from below asking "Have you got them close enough?" !!😒
  • pansyfacepansyface PEAK DISTRICT DerbyshirePosts: 21,265
    I hope you shouted back “Have I?” Cheeky beggar.
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Wirral (free draining sandy soil)Posts: 1,760
    The joys of suburbia @pansyface !
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