How to choose a tree for a small space
Have you ever noticed that the best gardens nearly always have some trees or shrubs incorporated into the garden design? There are many reasons why trees are so popular but the most important to me is their incredible diversity of appearance, growth pattern, fragrance and, of course their many uses. Trees and shrubs can be grown to form mixed hedging which can be grown to create a privacy screen or as a windbreak but I really enjoy using specimen trees to add a focal point to the gardens I design.
When designing gardens for smaller spaces the choice of suitable trees reduces as the available space reduces. While a small space may be able to support a large species of tree it may make everything else look out of proportion. The most important thing to remember is that the larger the tree the larger the space required and that small tree purchased from your local nursery may look fantastic now, and maybe for a few more years, but eventually the tree will become far too big and may even cause damage to nearby buildings. There are many ways in which large trees can cause damage to your house but the most obvious is that the roots of trees can cause serious, and even fatal, damage to foundations. It is for this reason that you take very great care when choosing trees for small spaces.
If you have a small yard, backyard or garden in which you want to grow trees and shrubs it is of the upmost importance that you pay attention to your surroundings. You should make a careful note of any overhead wires or cables as well as overhanging roofs or anything else that may extend across your small space at height. While this may seem obvious it is amazing how many people purchase trees without first discovering how tall they grow when mature. Luckily there are many species of trees and shrubs which do not grow beyond 20 foot in height and I would suggest that this is the tallest tree you should consider for any small space.
You will also need to consider your neighbors, planting trees along your garden wall or fence might seem like a good idea but if they grow to a height or create an overhang that annoys those next door you could find yourself heading for very serious, and possibly very expensive, trouble. As soon as you have a basic garden design why not pop over and pay them a visit and show them your design and ask if they have a problem, explaining that it will be a few years before they reach any size (assuming that you are buying young trees). You never know, they might be planning something similar themselves and, if they are, you would not want to plant your trees too close to theirs. In such cases you could maybe suggest a shared cost or plan both gardens so that each tree is planted alternately on one side of the fence then the other (which is basically sharing the cost anyway. Maybe you could even lower the garden wall or fence and create a hedge to partition the gardens.
If you are choosing trees for a very small space then you will, obviously, need to stick to growing very small trees such as dwarf conifers. If you are going to be buying dwarf conifers check that they are a truly dwarf conifer and not a small very slow growing conifer, if you are not sure ask a member of the staff at the nursery from which you are purchasing them. There are many trees that only grow small but in small spaces you will want to pick the most interesting and most beautiful species as placing a plain tree in such a small place is wasted space. Even in the smallest yard a quality specimen tree can bring the place to life and add that certain something that makes your garden something really special.
Here is a short list of trees suitable for small spaces:
Serbian spruce (Picea omorika) grows in a narrow upright fashion
Coralbark maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sanfo Kaku’, syn. ‘Senkaki) has interesting and decorative bark
Coralbark dogwood (Cornus seicea ‘Cardinal’) another tree with great bark
The Dwarf Korean Lilac (Syringa meyeri Pablibin) gorgeously fragrant blooms
Flowering crab apple Malus ‘Sentinel’
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum cultivars)
Of course there are many other trees which are suitable for use in small spaces those above are just an introduction to some of the more beautiful that you will discover as you further investigate this wonderful subject.
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