Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
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Recently my neighbour cut down a dead tree that was covered in ivy (which was fine by me) but now I can see a whole row of houses and am overlooked. (See photo).
My garden is small, about 30'x 60'. In the bottom left hand corner which is now so exposed, I have a small shed. Then about 12' from that corner I have a cherry tree which is about 12' high and just as wide.
What (mature?) tree can I plant that will give me instant hight of 10'-12' that won't grow much higher but that gives a year round screen/canopy spread of about 6'-8' or so, perhaps filling out over time but preferable not growing tall. (I guess I'll need to pull my shed forward or move in order to plant).
I've seen a Photonia Red Robin standard tree but no idea if it is suitable (I love the birds in my garden) and what other options there may be.
Any suggestions would be wonderful, thank you!
Recently my neighbour cut down a dead tree that was covered in ivy (which was fine by me) but now I can see a whole row of houses and am overlooked. (See photo).
My garden is small, about 30'x 60'. In the bottom left hand corner which is now so exposed, I have a small shed. Then about 12' from that corner I have a cherry tree which is about 12' high and just as wide.
What (mature?) tree can I plant that will give me instant hight of 10'-12' that won't grow much higher but that gives a year round screen/canopy spread of about 6'-8' or so, perhaps filling out over time but preferable not growing tall. (I guess I'll need to pull my shed forward or move in order to plant).
I've seen a Photonia Red Robin standard tree but no idea if it is suitable (I love the birds in my garden) and what other options there may be.
Thanks for your question. It's always a shame when gardens lose a tree due to ill health or a neighbour removes one. We, as ethical gardeners, need to keep as many trees as possible in our garden spaces, as they act as a bridge for wildlife and provide other benefits like privacy, keeping gardens cool, and reducing flood risks.
I wouldn't recommend a Red Robin for coverage or an exposed site. Whilst Photinia are seen a lot online as a great low-fuss evergreen tree, the reality is far from it! They make excellent shrubs and cover at a lower level. However, the problem with Red Robins or Photinia is that they drop their leaves a lot, hate exposure, and can look patchy very quickly. Often sold as pleached trees, they are more suited to life as sheltered shrubs, in my experience.
Take a look at my top 10 small garden trees here, which will give some more context, but I'd recommend looking at something like a Feild maple or Acer Campestre for that position and sized garden.
Thanks for your question. It's always a shame when gardens lose a tree due to ill health or a neighbour removes one. We, as ethical gardeners, need to keep as many trees as possible in our garden spaces, as they act as a bridge for wildlife and provide other benefits like privacy, keeping gardens cool, and reducing flood risks.
I wouldn't recommend a Red Robin for coverage or an exposed site. Whilst Photinia are seen a lot online as a great low-fuss evergreen tree, the reality is far from it! They make excellent shrubs and cover at a lower level. However, the problem with Red Robins or Photinia is that they drop their leaves a lot, hate exposure, and can look patchy very quickly. Often sold as pleached trees, they are more suited to life as sheltered shrubs, in my experience.
Take a look at my top 10 small garden trees here, which will give some more context, but I'd recommend looking at something like a Feild maple or Acer Campestre for that position and sized garden.
Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
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