Long term gardening. That little thing you planted 15 (or longer) years ago:

When we moved here in 1971 I planted a seedling maple along the back of our property. Bad idea, now it is butchered by the power company. Was not a gardener back then and now I would know better. Never plant a tree that matures over 15ft under power lines.

I checked option 5, but not sure it's the right answer. I guess it's the closest of the options, though.

When we bought this house in 1988, I moved a baby (about 2 ft tall) Cocos Plumosa that I had just planted where we moved from. (I knew the buyer would not take care of any plants that I left). I stuck it in the ground in a narrow bed about 16" wide, between the cement patio and a low brick wall. This was just until I decided where I wanted to put it. Well, it is now 27 years later, and it is still in its 'temporary' location! I'm not sure how tall it is, but it's quite a lot taller than the house. It has thrived there with little to no care. I've very rarely watered it, except when it was still very small. It seemed to pay no attention what so ever to the 4 or 5 years of severe drought we've had. I know I've never fertilized it. But it seems happy. It does create a bit of a mess with its fruits. But they aren't that hard to sweep up. We had one dog once that loved to bring them in the house and chew on them, leaving the hard 'nut' for me to step on. Ouch! The wind takes care of grooming it, so all I have to do is haul off the dead fronds. Would I plant one again? No, but this one pretty well refutes the claims that it needs a lot of TLC and water.

Where's the vote for, I was too young 15 years ago to have my own house and garden in the yard? I was only 17 fifteen years ago 😀

I voted twice : once for the first choice and once for the last choice.

DH is so picky about trees, that I research long and hard before planting. Therefore, all have fit our vision.

As to second vote, we planted 4 podocarpus in the front of our house. There were beautiful until one died from excessive moisture that resulted from a nearby cracked pipe. I was heartbroken but was able to quickly find and plant a replacement. The new podo looks puny next to the 20 ft ones, but hey, what you gonna do?

The pine tree gives me the most beautiful view outside my north facing upstairs bedroom window.

When we settled into my husband's families beach house in 2001, I received a 2' tall pindo palm as a gift. It is now 10' tall and gorgeous. The fruit is yummy too!

Oh I would love to have a nice tree outside my window like that!! I know it blocks the view but it's still pretty.

Pindo palms are majestic in the right place. They are quite affordable in my area so new homeowners with teenie tiny properties plant pindos and, You guessed it: They completely overshadow the house and property within a short period of time . I cringe every time I see this, wonder if owners have time, energy and muscle to remove the monsters.

One of my neighbors had 3 of them. Two were planted about 6 ft from house and just recently the cut them off. The remaining one is in the middle of their front yard and it is outstanding. One was all they needed ,

None of the options really fitted, but I selected number 3.

I planted several Queensland Bottle Trees (Brachychiton rupestris) from seed. All have grown, but now, 15 years later, none has yet to develop the huge, swollen trunks, though some are getting thicker trunks. I knew when I planted them that they would be spectacular long after I was checking their progress from on high (optimistic).

This would be number 2, but couldn't vote twice.Cocus palms are the bane of my life. Back in the 1970's when we moved into our current house, palms were all the rage. We planted probably 25 Cocus plumosa. Biggest mistake a gardener could ever make. They grow like weeds, are messy and rats love the seeds (as does the dog). I've already had a dozen of them removed. All were at least 30' tall. I'm having another three removed this week. The guy who came to give the quote for removal said "You can have a garden or you can have Cocus palms, not both." I totally agree with him.

We have a couple of Butea's. No problem with them and the fruits are delicious.

This message was edited Mar 10, 2015 1:54 PM

vossner,
You would think that after a while, even builders who don't know anything about plants would figure out how pindos grow. I'm glad your neighbor now has a great, correctly placed palm.
Have you eaten the fruit?

My moment of insanity was bamboo.

I love the sweeping row of 9 crepe myrtles we planted along a stretch of our (long) driveway 16 years ago when we built our house. So lovely in the spring, summer and fall. And I wish there had been smaller selections back then that there are today. But the mess the fallen flower petals make on the concrete is something I didn't bargain for & is something we live with. And I almost wish I had planted something evergreen. I didn't know as much about gardening back then as I do now either, and didn't know CMs had such horrible, vast root systems and sent up all those suckers that had to be dealt with. I swear, one day I may commit crepe murder. And don't get me started on 'dwarf' anything.

I want to hear it. Do you mean the plants they sell as "dwarf" but end up being monsters or at best too big for what you planned? That annoys me to no end

Back to CMs, their seeds also germinate easily. One I had one grow right in the middle of a gigantic rose shrub, which I killed when yanking CM.

I do have a "dwarf" CM called Fili and it is little and lovely . Ck the plant files.

That "dwarf" gardenia I planted just a little too close to the house.... It is gorgeous, I just have to prune it every few years. :-)

Vossner, yes! I don't mind pruning a little, but it really annoys me that zones aren't taken into account when determining whether a plant/shrub is going to be a dwarf (or not). I planted a few dwarf yaupons and they are not what I would call dwarf specimens. They aren't 10-footers or anything but really!

I clicked option one for my schotia tree which I grew from seed wich I got from JLHudsonseedsman who no longer carries the seed. I planted the tree well away from my house (had seen pictures online of how big it gets). It is probably twenty feet from the house but is beginning to shade it. It has made lots of seeds and new plants have been shared around the neighborhood. It is beautiful, especially with the bronzy new growth and raciness of burgundy colored flours which have lots of nectar and draw many birds. Last year it got sick and almost died while I was in Ca. My helper Tony told me friend Maria who sent me a frantic email and I returned with a worm killer from Home Depot which saved it. Tony know how I feel about this tree which is now about fifteen years old and maybe forty feet tall. I am so happy it has survived and is thriving.

We are also getting overrun with dragonfruit plants, thanks to the dragonfruit growers in So. Cal. who generously shared their cutting with me about ten years ago. We got our first fruit last year and we happily share cutting which are easily grown here with as many people as possible. A hundred years from now when Tony and I are long gone, residents will be enjoying the plants (flowers to die for) and fruit.

They give me reason to live. (and you can leave your hat on - for those who know the song)

I checked beyond my expectations...

We planted a podocarpus hedge along our back fence with seedlings my Dad started from his hedge for us, over 20 years ago. Those trees are now well over 20 foot tall and make such a nice privacy barrier.

We have two very nice oak trees we planted 20 years ago, just those $10.00 four foot trees at the nursery. Those trees have turned into huge beautiful shade trees, they are a bit messy at times, but for the hot summer months they sure are a blessing.

20 years ago, I thought it would stay a small Butterfly bush! But its intoxicating perfume commands me to linger longer outside.

Wow, OniOni, what a beautiful bush. They can't take FL heat, I've tried.

Yep, Sunkissed, she has turned into quite the monster. So big, I think she deserves a name…..I think I will call her---"Flutterbye"!

When I moved into my new house with a huge but bare perennial bed around the pool in 1998, a friend gave me mint and obedient plant chunks. "Just keep it contained," she said. Well, I'm convinced those plants will grow through concrete. I finally conquered the dis-obedient plant about 2 years ago. The mint comes in surprise attacks. Thankfully, we're very good friends and laugh about her gift at least once every Spring. And when I inadvertently plant something that travels and multiplies, I toy with the thought of a friendly garden exchange to bring some humor to the moment. Gardening just wouldn't be as much fun if every planted worked, I guess.

In 2004 I planted a one gallon weeping willow "twig" on the island in my pond. Almost 11 years later, it is over 40 feet tall and completely blocks the view of Rancho Seco Nuclear towers that are almost 6 miles away. (It is deactivated) I had no idea this willow tree would get this big and lush. It provides shelter to about 85 mallards and other water fowl.