I recently moved from the California coast to a suburban house
in central Virginia. Waynesboro, to be exact -- which is just
off the west side of the Blue Ridge mountains, not too far
from Charlottesville.

I am not particularly enthusiastic about the current
landscaping in the back, and I am just starting to try to
develop a plan for what I would like to do back there.

As of right now, I am specifically looking for suggestions
about what trees I might plant back there. I am not an
experienced gardener, and I'm certainly no landscape
architect. I know essentially nothing about what does and
does not do well in this part of the world.

What I currently have:

The lot my house sits on slopes down gradually and
consistently to a rear cyclone fence. Behind that fence is an
alley. On the other side of that alley is the rear a
neighbor's house.

The backyard gets a fair amount of afternoon sun. Nothing I
am considering doing back there would change this.

From the rear-most point of my house to the rear fence, my
back yard measures 83' deep and 50' wide. I would guess that
it drops maybe 5' over that distance, but I could be off by
several feet either way. But because my main floor and rear
deck are above a full, walk-out basement, the visual drop off
is much greater than that -- more like 15 to 20'.

The back is currently almost all one big rectangular lawn
(which is not in the greatest of conditions). There are some
helter-skelter plantings down a thin strip on the left side
(facing the rear) and along the back fence. A few of these
would be worth saving, but for the most part they are just
whatever stuff has survived. There never seems to have been
either an original plan or any rhyme or reason to any of it.
There are no "significant" plants, and there are no real trees
-- just some big bushes.

The right side is cyclone fenced but completely open to my
neighbor on that side's backyard. I do not regard that as a
problem; if anything, that it makes my backyard feel even
larger than it is.

There is a modest sized (15'x8'?), rectangular, unused garden
area toward the right rear. Between the garden area and the
house (still on the right side here) there is a clothes line
which does get used.

The household drain runs from approximately the left rear of
my house to the center of my rear fence. I obviously need to
take this into account in where I plant things.

Finally, there is a full gate on the left side of the rear
fence. From that point, one could and very well might someday
want to back a pickup truck straight up the yard to the
basement door. A zig or a zag would be okay, but I don't
think it would be smart to plant in a way that would totally
obstruct this corridor.

What I would like to have:

In general, you may think of me as typical yuppie. I would
like a back yard which is landscaped more naturally. I'd like
to attract the birdies and to have plants and perhaps some
trees that bloom regularly. Minimal maintenance is always
good, but I don't mind some. I would like to get the garden
going next year. I am not the least bit attached to having
such a large lawn area; the lawn does nothing for me except to
serve as a ground cover that requires regular mowing.

Which gets me back to where I came in: Trees

In developing my long-term plan, I think the trees should
probably come first. I may not be able to put them all in at
once, but I would like to work out what they are and where
they will go. I would also like top get started on planting
at least a few of them as soon as possible.

I see two different categories of trees:

- A "screen" category which would be planted approximately
along the rear fence. Ideally, these should probably be
evergreen and grow reasonably quickly to a height of 30' or so
and then stop growing. They wouldn't need to get any taller
than that, and by "grow reasonably quickly", I have something
like a period of five years or so in mind, but I'm not sure
that is realistic. I would very much to be able to sit out on
my back deck and not have to see across the alley into my rear
neighbor's back yard. There are mountains of plastic toys
back there, plus the occasional car. In other words, it ain't
a pretty view.

- An "ornamental" category which includes trees that might be
planted just about anywhere else (keeping in mind the drain
line and the truck corridor). I would like these to break up
the big. open rectangle of lawn which is currently there. I
imagine these to be mostly deciduous. I have no idea what
trees to use for this, or what principles to use in deciding
where to plant them.

That's it! Any thoughts or advice any of you might have on
any part(s) of the above would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Harry

The Other Harry wrote in
:


I recently moved from the California coast to a suburban house
in central Virginia. Waynesboro, to be exact -- which is just
off the west side of the Blue Ridge mountains, not too far
from Charlottesville.

I had a friend that used to live I think in Waynesboro. If your house is
on the leeward side, you might want consider something that can absorb or
block, uh, the 'scents of the county'. If you don't know what I'm talking
about, never mind.

- Salty

Salty Thumb wrote in
:

The Other Harry wrote in
:


I recently moved from the California coast to a suburban house
in central Virginia. Waynesboro, to be exact -- which is just
off the west side of the Blue Ridge mountains, not too far from
Charlottesville.

I had a friend that used to live I think in Waynesboro. If your house
is on the leeward side, you might want consider something that can
absorb or block, uh, the 'scents of the county'. If you don't know
what I'm talking about, never mind.

- Salty


Never mind, I think it was Harrisonburg I'm thinking about.

I recently moved from the California coast to a suburban house
in central Virginia. Waynesboro, to be exact -- which is just
off the west side of the Blue Ridge mountains, not too far
from Charlottesville.


I grew up on the eastern slope. Just about any temperate zone tree or shrub
will grow in the area. The primary natives are oak and hickory but most of the
conifers from the north will grow if you don't have competition from natives.
As for ornamentals doqwood is the state flower and redbud (Judas trees) grow
wild in the woods; again anything that grows in a temperate climate, No
magnolias or live oaks,

The Other Harry wrote:

I recently moved from the California coast to a suburban house
in central Virginia. Waynesboro, to be exact -- which is just
off the west side of the Blue Ridge mountains, not too far
from Charlottesville.
snip

- An "ornamental" category which includes trees that might be
planted just about anywhere else (keeping in mind the drain
line and the truck corridor). I would like these to break up
the big. open rectangle of lawn which is currently there. I
imagine these to be mostly deciduous. I have no idea what
trees to use for this, or what principles to use in deciding
where to plant them.

That's it! Any thoughts or advice any of you might have on
any part(s) of the above would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Harry

I live in northern VA. Down around your area, catalpa trees
grow wild. They have magnificent blooms in the spring,
gorgeous darkish lavendar. The leaves are exotic looking.
They would do well. They are deciduous.

If you want shrubs at any point, azaleas make VA a showplace
in the spring. The colors are stunning.

Minteeleaf

For your screen I would choose either eastern white pine (pinus strobus) or
hemlock (tsuga canadensis I think). You are going to have a problem
restricting anything to 30' if the conditions are right for it to grow but
you could always trim it. Either will give you a year round screen. The
white pine will grow pretty fast for a conifer with the right light and
soil. Hemlocks, when trimmed back, though, provide a really solid screen.
Balsam fir is also good--nearly as effective as a chain link fence they can
grow so thick. I'd think a few balsam firs in 5 years would provide a
pretty effective border if you started with at least 3 or 4 foot saplings.
Holly makes a good screen, too, but you'll have longer to wait.

For the front I agree with two prior posters who suggested dogwood (cornus
florida) and redbud (cercis canadensis). I'd go with dogwood. "They"'ve
been saying that a fungal blight is going to kill 99% of all the dogwoods
for about 5 years but recently I heard a revised version that suggested it
was only forest-dwelling dogwoods that were most susceptible and if you
don't live on the edge of the woods you may not experience any problems.
Redbud is a great tree but they don't grow quite as large and their blossoms
are early spring and fade quickly. Dogwoods will bloom mid-spring, late
spring, usually. I can't think of many trees that would bloom for more than
a few weeks.

Since you're in VA, magnolias would also be a very good ornamental.

"The Other Harry" wrote in message
...

I recently moved from the California coast to a suburban house
in central Virginia. Waynesboro, to be exact -- which is just
off the west side of the Blue Ridge mountains, not too far
from Charlottesville.

I am not particularly enthusiastic about the current
landscaping in the back, and I am just starting to try to
develop a plan for what I would like to do back there.

As of right now, I am specifically looking for suggestions
about what trees I might plant back there. I am not an
experienced gardener, and I'm certainly no landscape
architect. I know essentially nothing about what does and
does not do well in this part of the world.

What I currently have:

The lot my house sits on slopes down gradually and
consistently to a rear cyclone fence. Behind that fence is an
alley. On the other side of that alley is the rear a
neighbor's house.

The backyard gets a fair amount of afternoon sun. Nothing I
am considering doing back there would change this.

From the rear-most point of my house to the rear fence, my
back yard measures 83' deep and 50' wide. I would guess that
it drops maybe 5' over that distance, but I could be off by
several feet either way. But because my main floor and rear
deck are above a full, walk-out basement, the visual drop off
is much greater than that -- more like 15 to 20'.

The back is currently almost all one big rectangular lawn
(which is not in the greatest of conditions). There are some
helter-skelter plantings down a thin strip on the left side
(facing the rear) and along the back fence. A few of these
would be worth saving, but for the most part they are just
whatever stuff has survived. There never seems to have been
either an original plan or any rhyme or reason to any of it.
There are no "significant" plants, and there are no real trees
-- just some big bushes.

The right side is cyclone fenced but completely open to my
neighbor on that side's backyard. I do not regard that as a
problem; if anything, that it makes my backyard feel even
larger than it is.

There is a modest sized (15'x8'?), rectangular, unused garden
area toward the right rear. Between the garden area and the
house (still on the right side here) there is a clothes line
which does get used.

The household drain runs from approximately the left rear of
my house to the center of my rear fence. I obviously need to
take this into account in where I plant things.

Finally, there is a full gate on the left side of the rear
fence. From that point, one could and very well might someday
want to back a pickup truck straight up the yard to the
basement door. A zig or a zag would be okay, but I don't
think it would be smart to plant in a way that would totally
obstruct this corridor.

What I would like to have:

In general, you may think of me as typical yuppie. I would
like a back yard which is landscaped more naturally. I'd like
to attract the birdies and to have plants and perhaps some
trees that bloom regularly. Minimal maintenance is always
good, but I don't mind some. I would like to get the garden
going next year. I am not the least bit attached to having
such a large lawn area; the lawn does nothing for me except to
serve as a ground cover that requires regular mowing.

Which gets me back to where I came in: Trees

In developing my long-term plan, I think the trees should
probably come first. I may not be able to put them all in at
once, but I would like to work out what they are and where
they will go. I would also like top get started on planting
at least a few of them as soon as possible.

I see two different categories of trees:

- A "screen" category which would be planted approximately
along the rear fence. Ideally, these should probably be
evergreen and grow reasonably quickly to a height of 30' or so
and then stop growing. They wouldn't need to get any taller
than that, and by "grow reasonably quickly", I have something
like a period of five years or so in mind, but I'm not sure
that is realistic. I would very much to be able to sit out on
my back deck and not have to see across the alley into my rear
neighbor's back yard. There are mountains of plastic toys
back there, plus the occasional car. In other words, it ain't
a pretty view.

- An "ornamental" category which includes trees that might be
planted just about anywhere else (keeping in mind the drain
line and the truck corridor). I would like these to break up
the big. open rectangle of lawn which is currently there. I
imagine these to be mostly deciduous. I have no idea what
trees to use for this, or what principles to use in deciding
where to plant them.

That's it! Any thoughts or advice any of you might have on
any part(s) of the above would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Harry

In article ,
The Other Harry wrote:

- An "ornamental" category which includes trees that might be
planted just about anywhere else (keeping in mind the drain
line and the truck corridor). I would like these to break up
the big. open rectangle of lawn which is currently there. I
imagine these to be mostly deciduous. I have no idea what
trees to use for this, or what principles to use in deciding
where to plant them.


I am a big fan of magnolias. You would have to see whether or not
your particular spot is appropriate, but magnolias will grow just
about anywhere in VA. There are a number of varieties, and you
can choose how tall you want it to grow to, how bushy you want it
to be, what color the blooms to have. We have planted magnolias
in MD and the Northern Neck of VA with great success.

billo

FarmerDill wrote:

I recently moved from the California coast to a suburban house
in central Virginia. Waynesboro, to be exact -- which is just
off the west side of the Blue Ridge mountains, not too far
from Charlottesville.


I grew up on the eastern slope. Just about any temperate zone tree or shrub
will grow in the area. The primary natives are oak and hickory but most of the
conifers from the north will grow if you don't have competition from natives.
As for ornamentals doqwood is the state flower and redbud (Judas trees) grow
wild in the woods; again anything that grows in a temperate climate, No
magnolias or live oaks,

Why do you say no magnolias? I live in Charlottesville and we have
magnolias out the wazoo.

Also dogwoods, redbud, mimosa, japanese red maple, poplar, maple, locust
(yuck), curly willow....

The Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is, IMHO, not always the best
choice unless you have a *large* area in which to plant. They will easily
make 60-80' over time, grow low, drooping branches that shade out the
possibility of planting underneath, and finally produce heavy, waxy leathery
brown leaves that are a bear to rake up. I like the tree visually, but there
are those considerations. There is a lovely dwarf variety of grandiflora
called 'Little Gem' which will only make 15-20' over time.

The Sweetbay Magnolia is a gorgeous smaller tree, as are the Stellatas and
the Soulangianas. See

http://www.bestgardening.com/bgc/plant/magnolia01.htm

Dave

"Callen Molenda" wrote in message
...
FarmerDill wrote:

I recently moved from the California coast to a suburban house
in central Virginia. Waynesboro, to be exact -- which is just
off the west side of the Blue Ridge mountains, not too far
from Charlottesville.


I grew up on the eastern slope. Just about any temperate zone tree or
shrub
will grow in the area. The primary natives are oak and hickory but most
of the
conifers from the north will grow if you don't have competition from
natives.
As for ornamentals doqwood is the state flower and redbud (Judas trees)
grow
wild in the woods; again anything that grows in a temperate climate, No
magnolias or live oaks,

Why do you say no magnolias? I live in Charlottesville and we have
magnolias out the wazoo.

Also dogwoods, redbud, mimosa, japanese red maple, poplar, maple, locust
(yuck), curly willow....

Why do you say no magnolias? I live in Charlottesville and we have
magnolias out the wazoo.


Interesting: I have beeen around Charlottesville for almost 70 years, Lots of
kinffolk lived in the city and I pulled two stints at UVa and nevr noticed a
Magnolia, I know that they can be grown there with plenty of winter protection.
One can grow bananas in Ga too but it aint that easy. doesn't seem worth the
bother when there is such a wide choice of readily adaptable trees and shrubs,
Waynesboro is a few degrees colder than C- ville also.

In article ,
FarmerDill wrote:

Why do you say no magnolias? I live in Charlottesville and we have
magnolias out the wazoo.


Interesting: I have beeen around Charlottesville for almost 70 years, Lots of
kinffolk lived in the city and I pulled two stints at UVa and nevr noticed a
Magnolia, I know that they can be grown there with plenty of winter protection.


Magnolias can be grown in much colder climes that that, if you have the
right ones. My father-in-law has a magnolia in his front yard that has
been growing there for 30 years -- in New Castle, Indiana. It gets pretty
cold there, too.

billo

FarmerDill wrote:


Why do you say no magnolias? I live in Charlottesville and we have
magnolias out the wazoo.


Interesting: I have beeen around Charlottesville for almost 70 years, Lots of
kinffolk lived in the city and I pulled two stints at UVa and nevr noticed a
Magnolia, I know that they can be grown there with plenty of winter protection.
One can grow bananas in Ga too but it aint that easy. doesn't seem worth the
bother when there is such a wide choice of readily adaptable trees and shrubs,
Waynesboro is a few degrees colder than C- ville also.

Dill, I can't speak for Waynesboro but I'll send you a couple magnolia
blossoms to lure you back this way. Nothing like them; I don't even
care whether they drop those big leathery leaves everywhere.

When we were little my grandparents had a magnolia tree so huge that we
made forts in it, and could climb it all the way up to the top of the
(2-story) house. I can still see my grandmother leaning out of the
attic window imploring my little brother to please climb down before our
mother got home. g

Certain southern evergreen magnolia cultivars, such as Edith Bogue and
Poconos, are reputed to be hardy to at least 5 below zero, maybe -10
o -15F - without extra protection or mulches. A number of us are growing
them in our zone 5/6 climate. However, the standard southern magnolia is
more tender and would suffer a lot of damage below 5 degrees, if it would
even survive.
"FarmerDill" wrote in message
...

Why do you say no magnolias? I live in Charlottesville and we have
magnolias out the wazoo.


Interesting: I have beeen around Charlottesville for almost 70 years, Lots
of
kinffolk lived in the city and I pulled two stints at UVa and nevr noticed
a
Magnolia, I know that they can be grown there with plenty of winter
protection.
One can grow bananas in Ga too but it aint that easy. doesn't seem worth
the
bother when there is such a wide choice of readily adaptable trees and
shrubs,
Waynesboro is a few degrees colder than C- ville also.