I've dug the hole ... what should I plant here?

So, this little part of my yard is my next project. I didn't think I'd be able to dig a hole big enough for a tree, but low and behold, I created a pretty decent sized hole! The area has lots and lots of rocks and very poor soil, so I plan to dig a larger hole than necessary and amend the soil all around the tree so it has a fighting chance.

This part of my yard receives morning and afternoon sun until about 6pm when it starts to get shady. Would that be too much sun for an Oridono Nishiki? (I posted about that a while back).

I'm looking for a tree that will eventually grow fairly tall and wide (I plan to buy a large, well-established tree to begin with) that will take over that corner. Should I go for a red variety, such as Fireglow?

I'd welcome any suggestions. I plan to head out to a few favorite nurseries tomorrow morning to see what they have!

This message was edited Jul 6, 2007 9:20 PM

Can you post a jpeg of a farther back wider angle shot of the area so we can get an idea of the background color and area I am not sure whether a red JM would look ok there ...a better pic would help ..David

Basically that whole area of my yard is a blank canvas. Behind it is a 6 foot high cedar fence which was recently stained a subtle light cedar color. To the left is a patch of grass which I'm debating about digging up to make more planting beds with a meandering path going through them. I plan to put some iris, maybe some daylilies, as well as some other sun loving perennials in this area. I really want the tree to be the focal point. Here's a better photo of the area ...

I have looked at it several times and everytime I come back to a green leaf upright JM Oridono n. , or Tennyo no hoshi or Katsura, Ueno yama or any other many cultivars from dk to yellow green ( perferable IMHO than dk green ) with a little reddish tint or slight white variegation if ya like... there are litterally hundreds that will work ...I just don't see a red A.P. in that spot ...maybe I have a block lets see what others think ..David

How about an aconitifolium? It's not red but the leaf texture is so beautiful and it's gorgeous in the fall. You are in an area where you could grow one too.

I might add you should put what YOU want there ...we all have our opinions...and getting ideas from us is great but base your decisions on your gut instinct since you will have to live and love it not us ;>) I say this as a person who disdains interior decorators ( sorry if any of you are) a person really shouldn't decorate their house with someone elses tastes...and anyone who says they have no taste or no ideas ...are they naked running around in the forest HA!! I don't think so ...anyway lets see what others think you have a nice spot and a large "canvas" to "paint on" it should be fun designing it and around it... designing is the fun part ( at least for me) and planting it out as well now keepng it tidy and weed free weeeellllll no so much my thing ;>000 David

Aconitifolium Good idea thats the ticket thats how (I) see it something like that or the ones I posted... I love my Aconitifolium...it does have BIG leaves though so keep that in mind ...David

roxy, you said it's a mostly sunny spot but both pictures were taken in the shade, correct? Was it overcast or taken after the sun was blocked? If that's what it actually looks like most of the time, I would agree with a lighter green / yellow group. If it's in fact mostly sunny, then a red would look fine. Can you take a shot late AM / early PM?

Baby, it's hot outside. :) I went to three places today ... the farmer's market, a large commercial nursery and a landscape nursery. And here's what I came home with for the hole I dug ...

Tamukeyama - a red weeping laceleaf with an upright growth habit. The tag says it should get 8 feet high and 12 feet wide. I haven't planted yet, but I think it looks great in that corner!

I DID see an Aconitifolium and almost bought it ... except the nursery guy told me it would prefer afternoon shade. I wish I'd had my camera with me, because the leaves were a very bright red. He said that was its fall color (and it was showing fall color because it was sunburned/underwatered?) , and showed me a more true green version, which wasn't as dramatic.

I've attached a photo which shows how much sun it's getting as of 10 minutes ago, which is 3:50 pm my time. The other photos were taken in the late evening (first photo) and this morning when it was overcast.

I'm pretty pleased with my choice, even if I am hot and slightly sunburned for my efforts.

victor, I was just looking through the plant files and saw one of your photos of the Tamukeyama, and it looks gorgeous. Mine is about 5 feet tall.

i think you need to move the tree away from the fence more
but just my opinion
because when it grows it will be hitting the fence and you need air behind it as well so you wont get deseases

Thanks moretz ... I plan to do that. I agree it needs to come forward more, and be centered in the corner a bit better. When I dug that hole, I was mostly seeing if it could even be done in that area, and now that I know it can, I'll take a little more care when I'm digging the real hole. :)

Thanks roxy - here's a shot from last month. And yes, you should give it more room. Mine is over the top of my pool waterfall.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=3658794

So ... the tag says a spread of 12 feet. How far away from the fence would you suggest I plant it? Measure 6 feet forward from the corner and center it?

victor, how tall and wide is yours? And how long did it take to get that big? :)

This message was edited Jul 7, 2007 4:29 PM

I'll go look tomorrow to try to get an accurate estimate. It was about four to five feet when I planted it in the Fall of '03.

This message was edited Jul 7, 2007 7:49 PM

So here's the new and improved hole I've dug for my new tree. It has a couple of feet clearance in all directions from the fence. Now its just time to plant it in!

And finally ... the tree planted in. I'm very pleased with myself. :)

I know that you'll enjoy it Roxy.

Congrats Roxy!! Some gold or silver foliaged plants in the foreground would be nice.

victor, how did you know I was sitting here trying to decide what to plant around this tree? I agree that silver and gold would look nice with the red. I'm going to run up to the nursery and see what they have ... maybe some low growing grasses would look nice too.

I'm really trying to avoid digging up that piece of grass immediately in front of that bed, but it has to be done since I plan to put a path there. It's more fun going to the nursery.

Thanks for everyone's input!!

If you had planted a more palmate variety, I would have suggested Spirea thunbergii 'Ogon' - a spectacular shrub with fine soft, lacy foliage. It's too close to your tree's foliage in form. There are nice gold Physocarpus possibilities, as long as they are dwarf. Some gold Hostas can take lots of sun if given sufficient water. That would provide a great foliage form contrast. There are gold Hydrangeas you should check out too - both macrophyllas and quercifolias. Have fun!!

Roxy - here's the gold Oakleaf Hydrangea.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/59722/

Gold Hakone grass will grow in full sun. Artemesia is a beautiful gray and there are some small types. Powis Castle is one of my favorites. Miniature pomegranates are a great apple green and can be kept very small. You might want to echo the red with some small red flax or grass. Creeping Jenny is another pale green that you might want to consider.

This message was edited Jul 8, 2007 2:36 PM

Golden Creeping Jenny is great as a ground cover - bright gold in sun. Also needs ample water though. Roxy, I just checked my Tamuk. It's about 6 - 6 1/2 feet tall by about 5 1/2 feet wide. It was about four feet high when I planted it four years ago.

You can also echo the color and contrast the foliage form at the same time with Physocarpus Summer Wine. Can also use Weigela Midnight Wine or W. Fine Wine. I have all three and love them.