# Shrub, Plant & Tree talk.... Thinking of spring



## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

Its the middle of winter and everything outside is dormant.. but i was thinking ahead to the spring... Does anybody out there plant many shrubs and flowering trees? 

I know i know, im a big sissy.. but i like them...


Here is some of ours...

Along the driveway, the lower 100-150 feet.. we have 12 small flowering crab trees... They are young; 4 years old and about 5 feet, but they will be nice someday.. even small they put out some nice springtime flowers

along the front entrance to the drive we have 2 more older crab apple trees... These are bigger - 8 Ft, i just planted them this fall.. but they are bigger trees.. Im looking forward to them this spring. I used to have kwanza cherry trees that i purchased at HDepot.. These never really flowered well so i moved them and put the bigger crab trees. Taught me a lesson about 'where' you get your shrubs... 


up around the tup of the driveway; 3 Magnolia trees: These bushes are also small 4-6', they produce nice big flowers in the spring... 

14 Lilacs around back soft of against the back corners of the house.. These also are 3-4 years old, and around 4-5Ft, but produce some real nice flowers in the spring and smell awesome... 

Against the front of the house i have 6 Rose of Sharon trees. These are also around 5 years old but as 6" and produce tons of flowers late summer/early fall. 2 of these 6 were small shoots from a tree in front of my parents house.. i planted them right when i moved in 5 1/2 years ago.. Now those are 8-9 Ft tall and I had to trim them 1st time this year.. 

Out Back, we have a strawberry patch and behind that 12 Blueberry bushes... both do poorly due to wildlife feeding on them... no big deal though. 

We have a bunch of tulips and daffodills that come up in the spring... I usually plant many each fall - from Brecks on line - but this year i skipped it.. i want to see how many survive or how many end up mole food. 

We have 8 pioni plants planted way out back.. these are only 2 years old but in time will produce huge rose like flowers. 


We have a few pussy willow bushes - told ya, im a sissy.. These are tall now 8" and are 4 years in the ground


We have a few other strays; a burning bush plant, some quice apple bushes.. these produce really nice flowers in the spring and small apples not edible..., a few other kwanza cherry trees and others i am forgetting im sure..


All in all; my favorites are, well i like them all.. they do a nice spring show of flowers and then the rose of sharons flower late summer... Those trees produce hundres and hundreds of flowers per tree.. but take a real beating from japanese beetles

In between the shrubs, tulips & daffodils come up and i plant lots of perrenials or annuals (i forget which, whichever ones only last a season) in the summer to keep things flowery... 


We are in maine and at zone 5 so lots of things id like to plant can not survive the cold winters...


Sorry to ramble, just thinking about spring... its only a few months away!!!


So what do you have or plan to have or are you thinking about planting??


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

SJ you are definetly not a sissy. I love planting and growing things also. We don't have near that many trees planted.

I am truly amazed that you live in Maine and are in zone 5. We are in zone 4 right on the border of zone 3. I'd like to see some pics of your trees and shrubs.


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## ducati996 (Dec 27, 2003)

Hi Simple_john,

I will be asking for advice soon enough on what i need for my privacy barrier...from what i calculated I need 60 yrds of fill
and about 60 arborivites to cover 128 feet with them 2 feet apart.
The height on the arbovites are 5 footers, with maybe a 2 foot high berme...the fence is a 6 footer...

i could use another plant as well...I just dont want an amazon tree growing along that fence line

How does one plant and make a good symetical berme for the plants, weed cloth, and mulch....

Its early yet...but I like to plan ahead

Ducati


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

Hey Argee where you been? 

Duc, could you do the arborvitaes 4 Feet apart then youll need half as many.. I love seeing those 'estate' looking homes with a long row of high arborvitaes. They look great and grow really fast...

are you getting 5 Ft tall plants? how much are they? 20-40$ each? just curious


id find a local small garden place in your area and pick their brains... i got the small crab trees from a great local guy who sells only limited types of plants; Crab trees, arborvitaes, lilacs, and rhododendrons.. all of which grow well for this zone.. he also taught an adult ed. landscaping class.. good stuff to learn


all the stuff i have planted is still relatively young.. it should be nice in oh... 5 years...


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

SJ- My daughter was in for a visit and some surgery on her knee that she injured in an accident a few yeas back so I haven't had a lot of time to sit in front of the puter.:dazed:


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

A Wall of arborviteas

Ducati, This is a good example of arborviteas being used as a natural wall.. and how fast they grow..


These 2 picks show how fast they grow.. One was june 99 the other june2000 
so if you planted a row of these things.. within 5 years you'd have lots of growth and within 10, you could have a nice natural wall...

June 1999
<img src=http://albums.crossbyte.info/album_garden/trees/thuja99.jpg>


this one is june 2000
<img src=http://albums.crossbyte.info/album_garden/trees/thuja00.jpg>



PS pulled from yahoo search..


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