i was wondering what type of tree to plant in my front garden as there is a man hole to one side in the middle of my garden the drain runs diagonally down towards the front gate .
if i planted a Tree in the middle will be about 3-4 foot away from the man hole was wondering what i could plant if anything
would like it to be a focal point in the garden the size of the garden is approx 25x45ft
like things like cherry blossom or acer's love a weeping willow but think that would be a bad idea as if the drains got broken would cost me a lot of money to repair this
what if any do you think would be right for this space
I can't think of anything you can plant 3 or 4 ft away from a drain that won't potentially be a problem. We have lots of mature trees here and have to send cameras down the drains and get them repaired with monotonous regularity. How about a specimen tree (acer for example) in a decent sized attractive pot.
the intension is too put four tiers in to the front garden but didnt realy want to use pots could if it was large enough like acers the red ones mostly
We have a similar issue, and have planted a crab apple, partly constrained by a large pot sunk into the earth. It's attractive in the spring, can be pruned to keep it a sensible size, and even produces some crab apples.
an intresting idea i havent contemplated putting the pot in the ground
i didnt want to have a pot visable like i said befor its in the front garden next to a public path lets say it wouldnt be there very long if i did
How about Cercis Canadensis 'Forest Pansy'
Just make sure you get a dwarf tree or something that wont grow huge. How about a nice semi dwarfing stock apple tree, a nice old heritage variety.
Frankly I think you would be better with a large shrub, or a selection of say three to give interest throughout the year. I think a shrub will give less root problems than a tree. Something like a flowering currant for early flowering, that you prune back imediately after flowering, a Budliea that is pruned hard in the spring and giving late summer flowering with masses of butterfies, and maybe some type of Daphne for its equisite scent. I fell in love with the one at Wisley that gives off a lovely scent I think late in the year, its called Daphne bholua jaqueline postill. Its not a stunning plant but I could smell the perfume from fifty yards away.
If you must have a tree then a crab apple, or Sumach, or that conifer that produces cones at an early age that I cannot at the moment remember the name of, it could be Abies Fraseri, or Fraser Fir.
Roses always look lovely, smell lovely and have enough thorns to deter a villain.
Will be appreciated too by the walkers along the footpath and wild life will enjoy the hips.
I tried a Rowan in a biggish tub sunk into the ground ( to keep the witches and bogles away from the house!) as I knew I would be moving in a couple of years. When I came to move it, it was a lot harder to get the pot out than put it in, and the roots had split the plastic as well as having grown through the drainage holes and over the top of the rim and back into the ground.
I think shrubs would be a better bet.