"Steve" wrote in message
...

"novocastria" wrote in
message
...

I live in the Fens which is VERY windy at times due to the lack of trees
and being VERY flat! I have a north facing garden that is like a desert
(it's clay!) in the summer and a soggy wind tunnel in the winter
months. I have a small Acer that is now looking like it was put in an
incinerator this summer, nowhere was safe for it!
So... I need some ideas for trees and shrubs for my garden. Please
help!

Leylandi


Mountain Ash ( Rowan ). I've seen them growing on an exposed hillside on Hoy
( Orkneys ) so I reckon they'll survive in your garden.

Andy.

I live in the Fens which is VERY windy at times due to the lack of trees and being VERY flat! I have a north facing garden that is like a desert (it's clay!) in the summer and a soggy wind tunnel in the winter months. I have a small Acer that is now looking like it was put in an incinerator this summer, nowhere was safe for it!
So... I need some ideas for trees and shrubs for my garden. Please help!

Thanks :-D

"novocastria" wrote in message
...

I live in the Fens which is VERY windy at times due to the lack of trees
and being VERY flat! I have a north facing garden that is like a desert
(it's clay!) in the summer and a soggy wind tunnel in the winter
months. I have a small Acer that is now looking like it was put in an
incinerator this summer, nowhere was safe for it!
So... I need some ideas for trees and shrubs for my garden. Please
help!

Leylandi

The message
from "andrewpreece" contains these words:
"Steve" wrote in message
...
"novocastria" wrote in
message
...

I live in the Fens which is VERY windy at times due to the lack of trees
and being VERY flat! I have a north facing garden that is like a desert
(it's clay!) in the summer and a soggy wind tunnel in the winter
months. I have a small Acer that is now looking like it was put in an
incinerator this summer, nowhere was safe for it!
So... I need some ideas for trees and shrubs for my garden. Please
help!

Leylandi


Mountain Ash ( Rowan ). I've seen them growing on an exposed hillside on Hoy
( Orkneys ) so I reckon they'll survive in your garden.

Corsican pine is pretty weather-resistant, and for those close to the
sea, is salt-tolerant too.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

novocastria wrote in message . ..
I live in the Fens which is VERY windy at times due to the lack of trees
and being VERY flat! I have a north facing garden that is like a desert
(it's clay!) in the summer and a soggy wind tunnel in the winter
months. I have a small Acer that is now looking like it was put in an
incinerator this summer, nowhere was safe for it!
So... I need some ideas for trees and shrubs for my garden. Please
help!

Thanks :-D

Are you interested in dealing with the wind problem? Jokes aside, I
see that as the type of problem you need to deal with first.

The poster who sugested Leylandii, I suspect did it with his/her
tongue in cheek. However, they hit the nail on the head with regards
to finding your solution.

Leylandii will grow quite quickly and provide a pretty good wind
barrier. Now I am not suggesting that Leylandii is the solution, in
fact I would caution against using it. My approach would be to select
the side of your garden where the prevailing wind somes from (west or
south west, at a guess). Along that side I would go for a mixed shrub
hedge.

Garrya, Pyracantha, Viburnum opulus, Alnus cordata, Cotoneaster
lacteus, Rhododendron, Taxus baccata are some ideas for your hedge.

In a few years you will have created a more sheltered garden, and then
you can start inserting the plants you want to grow.

Hope that gives you some ideas

novocastria wrote in message . ..
I live in the Fens which is VERY windy at times due to the lack of trees
and being VERY flat!

The original native cover on the fens would have included a lot of
Alder and Willows of various types were grown and pollarded both
before and after drainage. After drainage it became traditional to
plant Plane trees to form a windbreak, although many of these are now
extremely large and provide thier windbreak 20 feet up in the air.
Hedgerows may have been of 'laid' hawthorn or even Oak. I don;t
remember seeing Beech, but it would survive quite well as a laid
hedge.

You don't say how big a plot you have, and how close to the house you
want to go. All of the species mentioned above can be invasive or get
out of control, but a well managed hawthorn hedge should be fine,
especially if you mix other species into it, like the guelder rose or
dogwood. It used to be traditional to plant damson or plum trees
among the hedgerow and let them grow to standards.

There are huge numbers of leylandii hedges on the fen, they grow
quickly and well and provide quick windbreaks. I would regard that as
a temporary solution while something else got established, except they
will take a lot of nutrient from the soil.

"novocastria" wrote in message
...

I live in the Fens which is VERY windy at times due to the lack of trees
and being VERY flat! I have a north facing garden that is like a desert
(it's clay!) in the summer and a soggy wind tunnel in the winter
months. I have a small Acer that is now looking like it was put in an
incinerator this summer, nowhere was safe for it!
So... I need some ideas for trees and shrubs for my garden. Please
help!

You must live near me then. I have a similar situation, not far fromt he
Wash, north facing, heavy clay. What thrives for me is willow, ash,
sycamore, hawthorn in a mixed hedge. Blackthorn does well too.

Hello

I live in March. VERY windy up here! lol
Leylandii are not my favourite tree! But if I wasn't bothered by the look of them I would plant some but I favour the Hawthorn mentioned earlier.... the smell of the blossom in the Spring is gorgeous and looks amazing! My plot is 150 metres long by30 ft at the top near the house and just 12 at the bottom! What on earth can I do with that!!!
Heavy clay is not the word! How come the soil in the fields is like black compost and I get the short straw!! lol


Diana

Hi

do they actually have trees on Orkney?
If they do then they might just grow here! Rowan trees are lovely , are the berry's ok as I have a 2 year old! Not sure about that!

Diana

Hi

Thanks for replying! :-D

My "plot" is 150 feet ( not metres as I think I said earlier!) by 30ft at the top near the house and 12 dow nthe bottom. The bottom of the garden is very rough ground over grown by weeds but we have laid a lawn now, it is a winding "river" of grass with potential flower beds on either side and a compost area with a shed at the end of all that! About 20 feet is over gorwn at the bottom of the garden! The clay soil is VERY off putting but I can see the potential in the garden and I have this inner need to plant trees! I would love a bit of a "woodland glade" area. I also have a very small 4ft Acer palmatum that is in desperate need of shady shelter from both the sun and the wind.... I only hope my fern has weathered the sun this year!
I see from writing this that I need a lot of either large shrubs or trees ( I am tempted to by quite mature trees to plant immediately, what do you think!?) I have also thought abotu planting a few fruit trees too.

The wind is very off putting for planting things, I have pots of things waiting to go in and am terrifed that they get ruined by the wind! Do you think bamboos mind very windy weather!?

Diana

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

NO!!!! :-)

Hi

do they actually have trees on Orkney?
If they do then they might just grow here! Rowan trees are lovely ,
are the berry's ok as I have a 2 year old! Not sure about that!

Diana

I have a Rowan tree in my garden and when I bought it I asked the same
question of the nursery as I also have a young family. They said the
berries didn't taste very nice and might give the kids a sore tummy but
thats it. Our Rowan is thriving here in Windy Ayrshire.

Saffy.

novocastria wrote in
:

I see from writing this that I need a lot of either large shrubs or
trees ( I am tempted to by quite mature trees to plant immediately,
what do you think!?) I have also thought abotu planting a few fruit
trees too.


I've never tried planting large trees, but if you plant them somewhere
where it's very windy, isn't there a risk that they won't get a chance
to get their roots in before they blow over?

I'd suggest using that reed matting stuff or willow hurdles as immediate
windbreaks, and plant smaller trees that will get established and be
able to cope with the wind.

Or compromise between the 2 and plant green willow which can be woven
into shapes and will root and eventually become a tree?

http://www.willowkits.co.uk/
http://www.livingwillow.co.uk/
http://www.hurdle.co.uk/living.html


May give you some interesting ideas. Winter is the right time to plant,
so you only have a couple of months to wait.

Beware though - willow can be pretty greedy and thirsty! If you go for
this idea, I would keep it some distance from the house, and don't plan
to put your choice little acer into the ground next to it (pot would be
OK - no direct competition).

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

"Saffy" wrote in news:2s05gbF1f6ve4U1@uni-
berlin.de:


Rowan trees are lovely ,
are the berry's ok as I have a 2 year old! Not sure about that!


I have a Rowan tree in my garden and when I bought it I asked the same
question of the nursery as I also have a young family. They said the
berries didn't taste very nice and might give the kids a sore tummy but
thats it. Our Rowan is thriving here in Windy Ayrshire.

Rowan berries are used to make Rowan jelly too! Very nice with cold meats.
I don't think many people, even kids, would enjoy them raw.

Victoria

"novocastria" wrote in message
...

ex WGS Hamm Wrote:
"novocastria" wrote in
message
...-

I live in the Fens which is VERY windy at times due to the lack of
trees
and being VERY flat! I have a north facing garden that is like a
desert
(it's clay!) in the summer and a soggy wind tunnel in the winter
months. I have a small Acer that is now looking like it was put in an
incinerator this summer, nowhere was safe for it!
So... I need some ideas for trees and shrubs for my garden. Please
help!
-
You must live near me then. I have a similar situation, not far fromt
he
Wash, north facing, heavy clay. What thrives for me is willow, ash,
sycamore, hawthorn in a mixed hedge. Blackthorn does well too.

Hello

I live in March. VERY windy up here! lol
Leylandii are not my favourite tree! But if I wasn't bothered by the
look of them I would plant some but I favour the Hawthorn mentioned
earlier.... the smell of the blossom in the Spring is gorgeous and
looks amazing! My plot is 150 metres long by30 ft at the top near the
house and just 12 at the bottom! What on earth can I do with that!!!
Heavy clay is not the word! How come the soil in the fields is like
black compost and I get the short straw!! lol

My privet also seems to do well. I leave some of it long to get flowers on.
It smells bloody wonderful.

I'm in Tydd St Giles, near Wisbech. The land is odd. You can be on heavy
clay in one field, and peat on the next. Mostly though its clay. Slimy and
horrible in winter and like concrete in summer.
I too dislike leylandii. I reckon a mixed hedge with hawthorn, blackthorn,
ash etc would be nice. Cover for birds, food for birds, and although slowish
growing by leylandii standards, easier to maintain.