tree recommendations please?
 

I am looking for recommendations as to a suitable (memorial) tree to
be planted in a sea-side location in the NW of Ireland, exposed to
salty winds (well, all kinds of winds, really). The ground conditions
are ericaceous (can't remember whether that's acid of alkaline, so
apologies to the experts) and can be soggy for much of the year. The
tree should be attractive, and obviously tough as old boots... Other
things that grow naturally on the site in question include fuschia
(magellanica, I think, naturalised) and salix.
I would be very, very grateful for your expert advice.
Thanking you all in advance!

Cat(h)

tree recommendations please?
 

In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes
I am looking for recommendations as to a suitable (memorial) tree to
be planted in a sea-side location in the NW of Ireland, exposed to
salty winds (well, all kinds of winds, really). The ground conditions
are ericaceous (can't remember whether that's acid of alkaline, so
apologies to the experts) and can be soggy for much of the year. The
tree should be attractive, and obviously tough as old boots... Other
things that grow naturally on the site in question include fuschia
(magellanica, I think, naturalised) and salix.
I would be very, very grateful for your expert advice.
Thanking you all in advance!

Cat(h)

I was expecting someone with more experience of coastal locations to
have chimed in, but since no-one has, I suggest Griselinia littoralis,
which grows right up against the Atlantic coast in places (e.g. Arduaine
in Argyll).

I don't know about its soil tolerances, so you'd want to check this out.

Whether it (or the variegated cultivar 'Bantry Bay') is attractive is a
matter of taste - I'm not a great fan. Whether it's a tree is perhaps
also debatable; you could describe it more as a giant bush.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

tree recommendations please?
 

On 12/4/07 17:24, in article lid, "Stewart Robert
Hinsley" wrote:

In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes
I am looking for recommendations as to a suitable (memorial) tree to
be planted in a sea-side location in the NW of Ireland, exposed to
salty winds (well, all kinds of winds, really). The ground conditions
are ericaceous (can't remember whether that's acid of alkaline, so
apologies to the experts) and can be soggy for much of the year. The
tree should be attractive, and obviously tough as old boots... Other
things that grow naturally on the site in question include fuschia
(magellanica, I think, naturalised) and salix.
I would be very, very grateful for your expert advice.
Thanking you all in advance!

Cat(h)

I was expecting someone with more experience of coastal locations to
have chimed in, but since no-one has, I suggest Griselinia littoralis,
which grows right up against the Atlantic coast in places (e.g. Arduaine
in Argyll).

I don't know about its soil tolerances, so you'd want to check this out.

Whether it (or the variegated cultivar 'Bantry Bay') is attractive is a
matter of taste - I'm not a great fan. Whether it's a tree is perhaps
also debatable; you could describe it more as a giant bush.

Griselinia is certainly very salt tolerant, as is tamarisk but I don't think
I'd think of them as trees, myself. Eucalypts might fit the bill and don't
mind soggy. I've seen Cupressus macrocarpa grown quite close to the sea but
as we've just seen one blown down and one cut down today from the
churchyard, I don't know that they'd be considered safe for very windy
locations, too.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

tree recommendations please?
 

In message , Sacha
writes
On 12/4/07 17:24, in article lid, "Stewart Robert
Hinsley" wrote:

In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes
I am looking for recommendations as to a suitable (memorial) tree to
be planted in a sea-side location in the NW of Ireland, exposed to
salty winds (well, all kinds of winds, really). The ground conditions
are ericaceous (can't remember whether that's acid of alkaline, so
apologies to the experts) and can be soggy for much of the year. The
tree should be attractive, and obviously tough as old boots... Other
things that grow naturally on the site in question include fuschia
(magellanica, I think, naturalised) and salix.
I would be very, very grateful for your expert advice.
Thanking you all in advance!

Cat(h)

I was expecting someone with more experience of coastal locations to
have chimed in, but since no-one has, I suggest Griselinia littoralis,
which grows right up against the Atlantic coast in places (e.g. Arduaine
in Argyll).

I don't know about its soil tolerances, so you'd want to check this out.

Whether it (or the variegated cultivar 'Bantry Bay') is attractive is a
matter of taste - I'm not a great fan. Whether it's a tree is perhaps
also debatable; you could describe it more as a giant bush.

Griselinia is certainly very salt tolerant, as is tamarisk but I don't think
I'd think of them as trees, myself. Eucalypts might fit the bill and don't
mind soggy. I've seen Cupressus macrocarpa grown quite close to the sea but
as we've just seen one blown down and one cut down today from the
churchyard, I don't know that they'd be considered safe for very windy
locations, too.

Eucalypts are fairly notorious for blowing over - I seem to recall a
saying on the lines of the bigger the stake the bigger the eucalyptus
when it's blown over. But there many different types of eucalyptus.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

tree recommendations please?
 

On 12/4/07 19:09, in article lid, "Stewart Robert
Hinsley" wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes
,snip

Griselinia is certainly very salt tolerant, as is tamarisk but I don't think
I'd think of them as trees, myself. Eucalypts might fit the bill and don't
mind soggy. I've seen Cupressus macrocarpa grown quite close to the sea but
as we've just seen one blown down and one cut down today from the
churchyard, I don't know that they'd be considered safe for very windy
locations, too.

Eucalypts are fairly notorious for blowing over - I seem to recall a
saying on the lines of the bigger the stake the bigger the eucalyptus
when it's blown over. But there many different types of eucalyptus.

You're right - they do blow over easily and I should have thought of that.
This one's a bit of a problem! I'm beginning to think that a sculpture of
a tree might be easier! ;-)
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

tree recommendations please?
 

In message , Sacha
writes
On 12/4/07 19:09, in article lid, "Stewart Robert
Hinsley" wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes
,snip

Griselinia is certainly very salt tolerant, as is tamarisk but I don't think
I'd think of them as trees, myself. Eucalypts might fit the bill and don't
mind soggy. I've seen Cupressus macrocarpa grown quite close to the sea but
as we've just seen one blown down and one cut down today from the
churchyard, I don't know that they'd be considered safe for very windy
locations, too.

Eucalypts are fairly notorious for blowing over - I seem to recall a
saying on the lines of the bigger the stake the bigger the eucalyptus
when it's blown over. But there many different types of eucalyptus.

You're right - they do blow over easily and I should have thought of that.
This one's a bit of a problem! I'm beginning to think that a sculpture of
a tree might be easier! ;-)

I wondered about Plagianthus or Hoheria, but I don't know how they'd
behave in coastal locations. Plagianthus regius is quite elegant, and
grows in the Chathams, so it should be cold and wind tolerant.

There's some other tree-sized mallows that grow in coastal locations,
but I'd doubt that any would be hardy.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley
http://www.malvaceae.info/Genera/Pla...agianthus.html
http://www.malvaceae.info/Genera/Hoheria/Hoheria.html

tree recommendations please?
 

Some oaks and pines grow right on sea coasts; whether they would take
the worst that location can throw at them is less clear.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

tree recommendations please?
 

On Apr 12, 7:29 pm, Sacha wrote:
On 12/4/07 19:09, in article , "Stewart Robert



Hinsley" wrote:
In message , Sacha
writes
,snip

Griselinia is certainly very salt tolerant, as is tamarisk but I don't think
I'd think of them as trees, myself. Eucalypts might fit the bill and don't
mind soggy. I've seen Cupressus macrocarpa grown quite close to the sea but
as we've just seen one blown down and one cut down today from the
churchyard, I don't know that they'd be considered safe for very windy
locations, too.

Eucalypts are fairly notorious for blowing over - I seem to recall a
saying on the lines of the bigger the stake the bigger the eucalyptus
when it's blown over. But there many different types of eucalyptus.

You're right - they do blow over easily and I should have thought of that.
This one's a bit of a problem! I'm beginning to think that a sculpture of
a tree might be easier! ;-)

Thank you Sacha and Stewart for your suggestions.
You may well have a point about the statue... the area is really
battered by winds and storms. It does have some sheltered little
areas, though, where some short trees do grow.
I have done a little research on the matter, and would rather go with
native tree/big shrubs than some fancy exotic thing, which will just
look wrong in the area.
I have thought of things like mountain ash, maybe holly, maybe black
or white thorn? I have seen the former two in some areas near the
site where the tree will eventually stand (let's hope), but I'm not
absolutely sure about the latter, and intend to check it out in coming
weeks.
I also quite like the fact that many of those native trees have quite
a baggage of interesting celtic myths and piseogs (I'm no gaelic
scholar, but my understanding of that word is "superstitions").

Anyway, any rugged and windy seaside gardening expert's advice would
be most appreciated.

Thanks again!

Cat(h)

tree recommendations please?
 

In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes
On Apr 12, 7:29 pm, Sacha wrote:
On 12/4/07 19:09, in article , "Stewart Robert



Hinsley" wrote:
In message , Sacha
writes
,snip

Griselinia is certainly very salt tolerant, as is tamarisk but I
don't think
I'd think of them as trees, myself. Eucalypts might fit the bill
and don't
mind soggy. I've seen Cupressus macrocarpa grown quite close to
the sea but
as we've just seen one blown down and one cut down today from the
churchyard, I don't know that they'd be considered safe for very windy
locations, too.

Eucalypts are fairly notorious for blowing over - I seem to recall a
saying on the lines of the bigger the stake the bigger the eucalyptus
when it's blown over. But there many different types of eucalyptus.

You're right - they do blow over easily and I should have thought of that.
This one's a bit of a problem! I'm beginning to think that a sculpture of
a tree might be easier! ;-)

Thank you Sacha and Stewart for your suggestions.
You may well have a point about the statue... the area is really
battered by winds and storms. It does have some sheltered little
areas, though, where some short trees do grow.
I have done a little research on the matter, and would rather go with
native tree/big shrubs than some fancy exotic thing, which will just
look wrong in the area.
I have thought of things like mountain ash, maybe holly, maybe black
or white thorn? I have seen the former two in some areas near the
site where the tree will eventually stand (let's hope), but I'm not
absolutely sure about the latter, and intend to check it out in coming
weeks.
I also quite like the fact that many of those native trees have quite
a baggage of interesting celtic myths and piseogs (I'm no gaelic
scholar, but my understanding of that word is "superstitions").

Anyway, any rugged and windy seaside gardening expert's advice would
be most appreciated.

Thanks again!

Cat(h)

Hawthorn (is that what you mean by whitethorn?) will get sculpted by the
prevailing salt-laden winds in your location.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

tree recommendations please?
 

In article ,
Stewart Robert Hinsley writes:
|
| Hawthorn (is that what you mean by whitethorn?) will get sculpted by the
| prevailing salt-laden winds in your location.

Yes, whitethorn is hawthorn. It isn't common in such conditions
in the wild, so I suspect that it doesn't love them. Blackthorn
(sloe) is almost happy with gale-driven salt spray, but isn't
really a tree, and isn't even a large shrub under those conditions!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

tree recommendations please?
 

On Apr 12, 9:48 pm, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:
In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes

On Apr 12, 7:29 pm, Sacha wrote:
On 12/4/07 19:09, in article , "Stewart Robert

Hinsley" wrote:
In message , Sacha
writes
,snip

Griselinia is certainly very salt tolerant, as is tamarisk but I
don't think
I'd think of them as trees, myself. Eucalypts might fit the bill
and don't
mind soggy. I've seen Cupressus macrocarpa grown quite close to
the sea but
as we've just seen one blown down and one cut down today from the
churchyard, I don't know that they'd be considered safe for very windy
locations, too.

Eucalypts are fairly notorious for blowing over - I seem to recall a
saying on the lines of the bigger the stake the bigger the eucalyptus
when it's blown over. But there many different types of eucalyptus.

You're right - they do blow over easily and I should have thought of that.
This one's a bit of a problem! I'm beginning to think that a sculpture of
a tree might be easier! ;-)

Thank you Sacha and Stewart for your suggestions.
You may well have a point about the statue... the area is really
battered by winds and storms. It does have some sheltered little
areas, though, where some short trees do grow.
I have done a little research on the matter, and would rather go with
native tree/big shrubs than some fancy exotic thing, which will just
look wrong in the area.
I have thought of things like mountain ash, maybe holly, maybe black
or white thorn? I have seen the former two in some areas near the
site where the tree will eventually stand (let's hope), but I'm not
absolutely sure about the latter, and intend to check it out in coming
weeks.
I also quite like the fact that many of those native trees have quite
a baggage of interesting celtic myths and piseogs (I'm no gaelic
scholar, but my understanding of that word is "superstitions").

Anyway, any rugged and windy seaside gardening expert's advice would
be most appreciated.

Thanks again!

Cat(h)

Hawthorn (is that what you mean by whitethorn?) will get sculpted by the
prevailing salt-laden winds in your location.
--

Yes, whitethorn is hawthorn. And even the moss is sculpted by the
prevailing salt-laden winds in this location :-)

This is a willow (I think) a couple of miles away, and it's pretty
upright by local standards.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=3zbu6ua

Cat(h)

tree recommendations please?
 

On 12/4/07 23:24, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

snip

This is a willow (I think) a couple of miles away, and it's pretty
upright by local standards.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=3zbu6ua

Cat(h)

Instead of a tree which might well give up the struggle, is a seat a
possibility - a bench where people who also enjoy that place and its views
would remember the person to be commemorated?
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

tree recommendations please?
 

On Apr 13, 12:02 am, Sacha wrote:
On 12/4/07 23:24, in article
. com, "Cat(h)"

wrote:

snip



This is a willow (I think) a couple of miles away, and it's pretty
upright by local standards.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=3zbu6ua

Cat(h)

Instead of a tree which might well give up the struggle, is a seat a
possibility - a bench where people who also enjoy that place and its views
would remember the person to be commemorated?
--

That is not my call, and the people concerned are keen on something
living. As I said before, certain things *do* grow there, and given a
little shelter belt or such, I think it is not beyond possible. It
may sound like a lot of bother, but it is worth trying, as it is very
important to the people concerned.
Thank you Sacha, and all, for your kind suggestions!

Cat(h)

tree recommendations please?
 

In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes
On Apr 13, 12:02 am, Sacha wrote:
On 12/4/07 23:24, in article
. com, "Cat(h)"

wrote:

snip



This is a willow (I think) a couple of miles away, and it's pretty
upright by local standards.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=3zbu6ua

Cat(h)

Instead of a tree which might well give up the struggle, is a seat a
possibility - a bench where people who also enjoy that place and its views
would remember the person to be commemorated?
--

That is not my call, and the people concerned are keen on something
living. As I said before, certain things *do* grow there, and given a
little shelter belt or such, I think it is not beyond possible. It
may sound like a lot of bother, but it is worth trying, as it is very
important to the people concerned.
Thank you Sacha, and all, for your kind suggestions!

Cat(h)

If you could give us some more details on the site, such as how far from
the coast it is, what direction the sea is from the site, whether it's
on a headland or a bay, etc. All this will make a difference; 10 feet
from the high tide line, on a headland in the teeth of westerly gales,
is different from 50 feet back from the coast, in a sheltered
east-facing location.

In some locations very little, if anything, in the way of trees will
survive; in others you could possibly even grown palms (Trachycarpus)
and pseudo-palms (Cordyline).
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

tree recommendations please?
 

In article ,
Stewart Robert Hinsley writes:
|
| In some locations very little, if anything, in the way of trees will
| survive; in others you could possibly even grown palms (Trachycarpus)
| and pseudo-palms (Cordyline).

Indeed. I don't know what the most resistant plants would be, but
the only 'near tree' that I have seen growing on the most salt- and
wind-swept headlands has been blackthorn.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

tree recommendations please?
 

On Apr 13, 1:31 pm, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:
In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes



On Apr 13, 12:02 am, Sacha wrote:
On 12/4/07 23:24, in article
. com, "Cat(h)"

wrote:

snip

This is a willow (I think) a couple of miles away, and it's pretty
upright by local standards.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=3zbu6ua

Cat(h)

Instead of a tree which might well give up the struggle, is a seat a
possibility - a bench where people who also enjoy that place and its views
would remember the person to be commemorated?
--

That is not my call, and the people concerned are keen on something
living. As I said before, certain things *do* grow there, and given a
little shelter belt or such, I think it is not beyond possible. It
may sound like a lot of bother, but it is worth trying, as it is very
important to the people concerned.
Thank you Sacha, and all, for your kind suggestions!

Cat(h)

If you could give us some more details on the site, such as how far from
the coast it is, what direction the sea is from the site, whether it's
on a headland or a bay, etc. All this will make a difference; 10 feet
from the high tide line, on a headland in the teeth of westerly gales,
is different from 50 feet back from the coast, in a sheltered
east-facing location.

In some locations very little, if anything, in the way of trees will
survive; in others you could possibly even grown palms (Trachycarpus)
and pseudo-palms (Cordyline).
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Fair point.
I'd say it's about 500 metres from the coast as the crow flies. It's
on the side of a little valley which opens out to a bay and is
(roughly) W/NW facing. The sea is to its West. I couldn't venture a
guess as to its altitude, but it is only a few metres up from ground
zero (sea level).
As the locality goes, it is more sheltered than many other areas, but
it can get battered in not infrequent storms.
The site is sloping, and there are a number of little fields around
it, many with hedgerows mostly made up of willow, fuschia and
brambles.
One side of the site is such a hedgerow, kind of dug into a ditch, and
which is relatively high at maybe 4 to 5 m, and this and the rest of
the topography *does* provide some shelter. The site has a newly
built house on it, and there are a number of houses around.
I'm not pessimistic of giving a potential tree (or to quote you large
bush) a feasible home there - I am just wondering what tree will meet
the challenge, while being attractive and preferably native.
I hope this helps. Thank you for your thoughts !

Cat(h)

tree recommendations please?
 

On Apr 13, 2:00 pm, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
In article ,
Stewart Robert Hinsley writes:
|
| In some locations very little, if anything, in the way of trees will
| survive; in others you could possibly even grown palms (Trachycarpus)
| and pseudo-palms (Cordyline).

Indeed. I don't know what the most resistant plants would be, but
the only 'near tree' that I have seen growing on the most salt- and
wind-swept headlands has been blackthorn.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I quite like the thought of blackthorn, and it is in fact something I
have strongly thought of. Near where I live on the east of Ireland
there are some fabulous old gnarled ones which have just the right
look for a "fairy tree", some in hedgerows, and some stand alone slap
bang in the middle of pastures. I also like the idea of all the
legends and myths that are tied up with some of those trees/bushes.
What do you think about holly? I have seen holly growing in sheltered
pockets in the area - growing being a technical term, because nothing
grows tall thereabouts - and I like the legend which has holly being a
protective plant.
Not that I believe any of it, but many of these legends are part of
the local heritage, and are interesting in their own right.

Cat(h)

tree recommendations please?
 

In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes
On Apr 13, 1:31 pm, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:
In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes



On Apr 13, 12:02 am, Sacha wrote:
On 12/4/07 23:24, in article
. com, "Cat(h)"

wrote:

snip

This is a willow (I think) a couple of miles away, and it's pretty
upright by local standards.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=3zbu6ua

Cat(h)

Instead of a tree which might well give up the struggle, is a seat a
possibility - a bench where people who also enjoy that place and its views
would remember the person to be commemorated?
--

That is not my call, and the people concerned are keen on something
living. As I said before, certain things *do* grow there, and given a
little shelter belt or such, I think it is not beyond possible. It
may sound like a lot of bother, but it is worth trying, as it is very
important to the people concerned.
Thank you Sacha, and all, for your kind suggestions!

Cat(h)

If you could give us some more details on the site, such as how far from
the coast it is, what direction the sea is from the site, whether it's
on a headland or a bay, etc. All this will make a difference; 10 feet
from the high tide line, on a headland in the teeth of westerly gales,
is different from 50 feet back from the coast, in a sheltered
east-facing location.

In some locations very little, if anything, in the way of trees will
survive; in others you could possibly even grown palms (Trachycarpus)
and pseudo-palms (Cordyline).
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Fair point.
I'd say it's about 500 metres from the coast as the crow flies. It's
on the side of a little valley which opens out to a bay and is
(roughly) W/NW facing. The sea is to its West. I couldn't venture a
guess as to its altitude, but it is only a few metres up from ground
zero (sea level).
As the locality goes, it is more sheltered than many other areas, but
it can get battered in not infrequent storms.
The site is sloping, and there are a number of little fields around
it, many with hedgerows mostly made up of willow, fuschia and
brambles.
One side of the site is such a hedgerow, kind of dug into a ditch, and
which is relatively high at maybe 4 to 5 m, and this and the rest of
the topography *does* provide some shelter. The site has a newly
built house on it, and there are a number of houses around.
I'm not pessimistic of giving a potential tree (or to quote you large
bush) a feasible home there - I am just wondering what tree will meet
the challenge, while being attractive and preferably native.
I hope this helps. Thank you for your thoughts !

Cat(h)

When you said sea-side location and salty winds I assumed somewhere
closer to the sea and more exposed.

At 500m from the sea, it's not necessarily immune from sculpting by
salt-winds - I've seen significantly lop-sided hedgerow trees further
from the sea near the Solway Firth, in exposed locations, but the Solway
is probably less windy in general than your location.

How long is the tree meant to survive; 50 years or 500?

I won't promise anything; I neither know exactly how exposed your site
is, not exactly how tolerant the trees are; but Silver Birch (Betula
pendula) or Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) might do. (I suspect that the Irish
Whitebeam (Sorbus hibernica), which grows in the Burren, wouldn't like
your acid soil). Birches and Rowans are short-lived.

Nick's suggestion of a pine or oak might also do - ones that come to my
mind as doing well in coastal locations are Monterey Pine (Pinus
radiata), Weymouth Pine (Pinus strobus) and Stone Pine (Pinus
pineaster). Maybe also a suitable variety of the black pine (Pinus
nigra), or a Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris). These however take longer to
become attractive trees.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

tree recommendations please?
 

On Apr 13, 5:26 pm, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:
In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes



On Apr 13, 1:31 pm, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:
In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes

On Apr 13, 12:02 am, Sacha wrote:
On 12/4/07 23:24, in article
. com, "Cat(h)"

wrote:

snip

This is a willow (I think) a couple of miles away, and it's pretty
upright by local standards.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=3zbu6ua

Cat(h)

Instead of a tree which might well give up the struggle, is a seat a
possibility - a bench where people who also enjoy that place and its views
would remember the person to be commemorated?
--

That is not my call, and the people concerned are keen on something
living. As I said before, certain things *do* grow there, and given a
little shelter belt or such, I think it is not beyond possible. It
may sound like a lot of bother, but it is worth trying, as it is very
important to the people concerned.
Thank you Sacha, and all, for your kind suggestions!

Cat(h)

If you could give us some more details on the site, such as how far from
the coast it is, what direction the sea is from the site, whether it's
on a headland or a bay, etc. All this will make a difference; 10 feet
from the high tide line, on a headland in the teeth of westerly gales,
is different from 50 feet back from the coast, in a sheltered
east-facing location.

In some locations very little, if anything, in the way of trees will
survive; in others you could possibly even grown palms (Trachycarpus)
and pseudo-palms (Cordyline).
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Fair point.
I'd say it's about 500 metres from the coast as the crow flies. It's
on the side of a little valley which opens out to a bay and is
(roughly) W/NW facing. The sea is to its West. I couldn't venture a
guess as to its altitude, but it is only a few metres up from ground
zero (sea level).
As the locality goes, it is more sheltered than many other areas, but
it can get battered in not infrequent storms.
The site is sloping, and there are a number of little fields around
it, many with hedgerows mostly made up of willow, fuschia and
brambles.
One side of the site is such a hedgerow, kind of dug into a ditch, and
which is relatively high at maybe 4 to 5 m, and this and the rest of
the topography *does* provide some shelter. The site has a newly
built house on it, and there are a number of houses around.
I'm not pessimistic of giving a potential tree (or to quote you large
bush) a feasible home there - I am just wondering what tree will meet
the challenge, while being attractive and preferably native.
I hope this helps. Thank you for your thoughts !

Cat(h)

When you said sea-side location and salty winds I assumed somewhere
closer to the sea and more exposed.

At 500m from the sea, it's not necessarily immune from sculpting by
salt-winds - I've seen significantly lop-sided hedgerow trees further
from the sea near the Solway Firth, in exposed locations, but the Solway
is probably less windy in general than your location.

How long is the tree meant to survive; 50 years or 500?

Let's start with 50, and then see how it goes... :-)


I won't promise anything; I neither know exactly how exposed your site
is, not exactly how tolerant the trees are; but Silver Birch (Betula
pendula) or Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) might do. (I suspect that the Irish
Whitebeam (Sorbus hibernica), which grows in the Burren, wouldn't like
your acid soil). Birches and Rowans are short-lived.

I didn't know that - what does short lived mean? 20 years? 50? I
have a personal preference for the rowan, there are some magnificent
multistemmed ones in the area.


Nick's suggestion of a pine or oak might also do - ones that come to my
mind as doing well in coastal locations are Monterey Pine (Pinus
radiata), Weymouth Pine (Pinus strobus) and Stone Pine (Pinus
pineaster). Maybe also a suitable variety of the black pine (Pinus
nigra), or a Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris). These however take longer to
become attractive trees.

Thank you very much, and to Nick, for your ideas.
It will give me more material to propose to those people.

Cat(h)

tree recommendations please?
 

In message . com,
"Cat(h)" writes
I won't promise anything; I neither know exactly how exposed your site
is, not exactly how tolerant the trees are; but Silver Birch (Betula
pendula) or Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) might do. (I suspect that the Irish
Whitebeam (Sorbus hibernica), which grows in the Burren, wouldn't like
your acid soil). Birches and Rowans are short-lived.

I didn't know that - what does short lived mean? 20 years? 50? I
have a personal preference for the rowan, there are some magnificent
multistemmed ones in the area.

The web page

http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about702.html

says 100 years for rowan. (50 years is short-lived for a tree.)
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

tree recommendations please?
 

On Apr 16, 5:03 pm, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:
In message . com,
"Cat(h)" writes

I won't promise anything; I neither know exactly how exposed your site
is, not exactly how tolerant the trees are; but Silver Birch (Betula
pendula) or Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) might do. (I suspect that the Irish
Whitebeam (Sorbus hibernica), which grows in the Burren, wouldn't like
your acid soil). Birches and Rowans are short-lived.

I didn't know that - what does short lived mean? 20 years? 50? I
have a personal preference for the rowan, there are some magnificent
multistemmed ones in the area.

The web page

http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about702.html

says 100 years for rowan. (50 years is short-lived for a tree.)

Thank you for that. On a human scale, it is not bad for a
memorial :-).

Cat(h)

tree recommendations please?
 

On Apr 13, 2:04 pm, "Cat(h)" wrote:
On Apr 13, 1:31 pm, Stewart Robert Hinsley





wrote:
In message .com,
"Cat(h)" writes

On Apr 13, 12:02 am, Sacha wrote:
On 12/4/07 23:24, in article
. com, "Cat(h)"

wrote:

snip

This is a willow (I think) a couple of miles away, and it's pretty
upright by local standards.

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=3zbu6ua

Cat(h)

Instead of a tree which might well give up the struggle, is a seat a
possibility - a bench where people who also enjoy that place and its views
would remember the person to be commemorated?
--

That is not my call, and the people concerned are keen on something
living. As I said before, certain things *do* grow there, and given a
little shelter belt or such, I think it is not beyond possible. It
may sound like a lot of bother, but it is worth trying, as it is very
important to the people concerned.
Thank you Sacha, and all, for your kind suggestions!

Cat(h)

If you could give us some more details on the site, such as how far from
the coast it is, what direction the sea is from the site, whether it's
on a headland or a bay, etc. All this will make a difference; 10 feet
from the high tide line, on a headland in the teeth of westerly gales,
is different from 50 feet back from the coast, in a sheltered
east-facing location.

In some locations very little, if anything, in the way oftreeswill
survive; in others you could possibly even grown palms (Trachycarpus)
and pseudo-palms (Cordyline).
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Fair point.
I'd say it's about 500 metres from the coast as the crow flies. It's
on the side of a little valley which opens out to a bay and is
(roughly) W/NW facing. The sea is to its West. I couldn't venture a
guess as to its altitude, but it is only a few metres up from ground
zero (sea level).
As the locality goes, it is more sheltered than many other areas, but
it can get battered in not infrequent storms.
The site is sloping, and there are a number of little fields around
it, many with hedgerows mostly made up of willow, fuschia and
brambles.
One side of the site is such a hedgerow, kind of dug into a ditch, and
which is relatively high at maybe 4 to 5 m, and this and the rest of
the topography *does* provide some shelter. The site has a newly
built house on it, and there are a number of houses around.
I'm not pessimistic of giving a potential tree (or to quote you large
bush) a feasible home there - I am just wondering what tree will meet
the challenge, while being attractive and preferably native.
I hope this helps. Thank you for your thoughts !

Cat(h)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

there is an oak that might fit the bill Quercus ilex something, the
leaves are waxy, coated which lessens the impact of salt.

tree recommendations please?
 

In article .com,
"Cat(h)" writes:
| On Apr 16, 5:03 pm, Stewart Robert Hinsley
| wrote:
|
| http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about702.html
|
| says 100 years for rowan. (50 years is short-lived for a tree.)
|
| Thank you for that. On a human scale, it is not bad for a
| memorial :-).

Watch out a bit - both are prone to die early if they don't like
the conditions (typically fungal infections).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.