More on Trees

OK, so I said I have planted my last shade tree. This is truth. To plant another shade tree would be to begin crowding my trees. They need room to grow and spread.

However, that doesn't mean I through planting trees. I have decided that there is room for another understory tree. One of my forthysia has kicked. I don't know exactly why other than it was root bound. Three of five of them, I thought were bad, but so far only one has died. Of course it is in the middle of the row right at my office window. I've decided that in it's place, for structure more than anything else, I will plant a Service berry in the spring. http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/Features/woodies/serviceberry/serviceberry.htm

I had one of these trees before moving here and simply loved it. They are a native tree and sometimes hard to find in nurseries. But more than that, I wanted the right spot for one. The next door neighbor has planted three birch along his driveway. They are just slips, but should/hopefully they survive the winter, they should grow into nice trees in no time. Birch grows in our woods. The service berry I want to plant in the spring is usually planted as an understory tree around here and should do great with the dappled shade from the afternoon sun that the neighbor's birch should eventually provide. This service berry should provide beautiful white flowers in early spring, lovely dappled shade in the summer, color in the fall and privacy from the neighbor's garage. Within a couple of years, the fruit should draw a large variety of birds and it is eatable as well.

It'll be nice to have another service berry in the yard. I really like that tree. But before I do get one, I want to make sure the trees we've planted this year are going to make it. So far they all look good, but I want to be able to give them the individual attention they need.