In article ,
(paghat) wrote:

In article , Priscilla
Ballou wrote:
I may have lost my heart to a mini-dwarf Honeycrisp apple tree, though,
from Raintree Nursery. I expect I'll have to get two, though, and I'll
need to know how far apart they can be, since I'd want to stick the
second behind the house.

Apples need two DIFFERENT cultivars that bloom simultaneously to fruit
properly.

Ah! Thanks. Well, they have several varieties. I'll ask them about
timing.

Even the dwarf will seem huge in a yard as small as you
describe. Fruiting plums trees are much more apt to be fully self-fertile
so that a single tree will fruit nicely, & have the same flowering beauty.

Except that I like apples, and I don't like plums. Not that I'm
expecting to assuage too much hunger off this tree. ;-)

The one I put out back should have plenty of space. There's a large
(for an urban yard -- probably 50' x 80' out of the full 50' x 140' lot
size?) wild area that I haven't really begun to encroach into yet. I
have a big old pear tree smack dab in the middle that has only a couple
of years left in it, and I can position the second apple a length behind
it so it can take over as a dominant feature when poor Ms. Pear has to
go bye-bye. I do have to find out about distance between pollinators.

And I don't mind if the tree in front gets full. It will be screening
my garbage can area from the street. That whole side of the house is
quite unattractive, so lots of stuff growing up to obscure it is
desireable. Now, the *rest* of the front yard is a different story. I
had it all cleaned out last fall and designed five raised beds which are
separated by expanses of river rock. It opens out the most attractive
view of the house and makes the front yard seem much larger. I
incorporated the driveway into the river rock expanse, since I don't own
a car and have no need at this time for a driveway. I've gotten lots of
approval from my neighbors on the redesign.

To me the best shrubs are deciduous azaleas, & care should be taken to
select varieties that are notable for their perfume. Some like R.
atlanticum prefer a partially shady spot, others like R. calendulaceum or
R. vaseyi like quite a bit of sun but may not be as perfumy. Select them
in flower to make sure they're redolent. They grow slowly, however, & to
have a really nice specimen right away requires investing in somewhat
mature shrubs & can be pricy.

Unfortunately I have an unaccountable dislike for azaleas (also
rhododendrons and hydrangeas). :-(

Here's one of my favorites, wonderful perfume, gorgeous leaves when the
flowers ore done, more gorgeous still in its autumn colors, & nice
structure for winter appearance:
In spring:
http://www.paghat.com/rhodyblossoms1.html
In autumn:
http://www.paghat.com/azaleaautumnwalk1.html

Very attractive. But still an azalea. ;-)

Thanks for the feedback.

Priscilla
--
"You can't welcome someone into a body of Christ and then say only
certain rooms are open." -- dancertm in alt.religion.christian.episcopal