In article , echinosum
writes


Whitebeams will definitely tolerate your conditions, and my parents
have had a couple that have grown with a suitably light crown, albeit
well spread. I rather like the silvery-green leaf colour, it is a
highlight against the darker green of most trees.

Yes I like them as well, it's an idea. I was thinking of going up to the
Bluebell nursery in Warwickshire to see what they had as their web site
looks interesting.



One deciduous tree you could grow that would definitely let you see
through the branches would be Nothofagus Antartica (bizarrely not on
PFAF), as it has very small leaves. I have one at the bottom of my
garden for that very reason (in Little Chalfont, but it sounds like my
soil is less alkaline than yours


Well I'm only 2 miles away in Amersham! I know we are at the top of the
hill and it might make a difference e but we do have a LOT of flint.
Little Chalfont was always easier to grow things in when we lived there.


For showy flowers, among the flowering dogwoods, Cornus kousa has a
relatively light crown and is supposedly tolerant of mild alkali and
clay, short of a shallow chalky soil.


Not so sure about this one as if they aren't growing REALLY well they
can look really depressed and pathetic

Another light-crowned tree is the Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum),
especially if you grow it as a standard rather than multi-stemmed.


Oh I have one of those though it hasn't been very fast growing from
cutting, only putting on about 6 inches a year.

It
will grow on limestone, but it does need reasonably well-drained
conditions. It is rather slow growing, especially to start with, and
expect it to take about 7 years to flower.

Thanks for the suggestions though from everyone, I'll look up each one
as I HATE the absence of the tree.


Maybe I'll come and look at your tree,echinsosum!

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk