On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 12:28:41 +0100, "Mick"
wrote:

Hi
We want to plant 3 Maple trees at the bottom of our garden as we like their
colour in the Autumn and the shape/size of their leaves. The surrounding
area will stay grass for as long as it lasts, no other planting issues,
neighbour has about 10 tall thin silver birch on his side.
Which type of Maple would people recommend?
Also we have rare visits to a nut tree from a shy Red Squirrel, what other
trees might keep him/family in the area in the long term?
TIA



Maples are wonderful plants - I have enough trouble choosing from this
big and varied genus for myself so I'm not about to try and do it for
somebody I don't know to plant on a site I don't know. However they
aren't going to do much for your squirrel except perhaps provide some
nice bark for him to strip when he's feeling frustrated so what I
would suggest is more nuts - hazels have good catkins, good autumn
colour, nuts for S. Nutkin (maybe even a few for you) and look well
with birches and grass.
Now to contradict myself: put some of the smaller slower acers like
the deeply dissected A. palmatum forms in front for some brighter
autumn/spring colours and A. griseum for a slow growing small tree
that looks good every day of the year (rich red/brown papery peeling
bark and a shape that looks aged in a distinguished sort of way within
a very few years - also good autumn colour)

Rod

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