"Inge Jones" wrote in message
. ..
In article ,
says...

Console yourself with the thought that this is something Ray says to me
at
least 5 times a season about some of *our* customers, too! A few want
something that will go to precisely 8' and not 6" more, yet others buy
some
young and hopeful plant and promptly ask how soon they should start
hacking
it down! Takes all sorts. ;-)

I've had a bit of an evil idea - a bit unkind to the tree perhaps
anyway. I could just devise a giant container (something like a water
storage tank) to limit the growth of a tree that would like to be
bigger? A sort of outsized bonzai...

Not such an off the wall idea!

The Palm Centre sell large bags (various sizes I think) made of very sturdy
landscaping material to control spread of bamboo - a sort of porous
underground pot!

pk

In article ,
says...

The Palm Centre sell large bags (various sizes I think) made of very sturdy
landscaping material to control spread of bamboo - a sort of porous
underground pot!

pk

Well actually, I don't even mind the container being above ground. With
such a flat postage-stamp of a garden, anything that can add changes of
level and visual interest would be a help. If I make the container big
enough, I can also plant some other shallow-rooting stuff in it so it
just becomes another level of garden. I can always disguise the
(probably) black plastic tank walls with some "stone" bricks round it,
or just suitable height shrubs. It will also give the young tree a
height boost, to offer it a bit more early spring sun than it would get
at ground level.

I suppose I'd make drainage holes at the bottom, and stand it on some
landscaping membrane to stop the roots migrating through the holes into
the soil below. Does this material allow water to pass through?

"Inge Jones" wrote in message
. ..
In article ,
says...

The Palm Centre sell large bags (various sizes I think) made of very
sturdy
landscaping material to control spread of bamboo - a sort of porous
underground pot!

pk

Well actually, I don't even mind the container being above ground. With
such a flat postage-stamp of a garden, anything that can add changes of
level and visual interest would be a help. If I make the container big
enough, I can also plant some other shallow-rooting stuff in it so it
just becomes another level of garden. I can always disguise the
(probably) black plastic tank walls with some "stone" bricks round it,
or just suitable height shrubs. It will also give the young tree a
height boost, to offer it a bit more early spring sun than it would get
at ground level.

I suppose I'd make drainage holes at the bottom, and stand it on some
landscaping membrane to stop the roots migrating through the holes into
the soil below. Does this material allow water to pass through?

Yes it allows water through. I'd be wary about a tree in a container - they
get through a phenomenal amount of water in hot weather. An automatic
watering system would be advisable.

pk

On Thu, 30 Jan 2003 07:43:31 +0000, Inge Jones wrote:


I'd much prefer an upright single stem, as my plan to uplight it was
intended to catch some of the white trunk as well as the leaves. Also

Inge,

What about one of those columnar everygreen trees - the name of which
escapes me - cyprus? I know Alan T has mentioned them on TV before now -
either on GF or GW. I believe that these just grow in a very narrow single
stem upright fashion. Perhaps not so good fr your lighting idea though....

Sarah

In article ,
says...

What about one of those columnar everygreen trees - the name of which
escapes me - cyprus? I know Alan T has mentioned them on TV before now -
either on GF or GW. I believe that these just grow in a very narrow single
stem upright fashion. Perhaps not so good fr your lighting idea though....

Sarah

That's my "last resort" plan anyway. It'll deal with the height issue
and I'll have to light up something else instead (-: At the moment I'm
still seriously considering a eucalyptus, as the RHA guide seems to
think a niphophila won't go past 20ft.

in article , Inge Jones at
wrote on 31/1/03 10:43 pm:

In article ,
says...

What about one of those columnar everygreen trees - the name of which
escapes me - cyprus? I know Alan T has mentioned them on TV before now -
either on GF or GW. I believe that these just grow in a very narrow single
stem upright fashion. Perhaps not so good fr your lighting idea though....

Sarah

That's my "last resort" plan anyway. It'll deal with the height issue
and I'll have to light up something else instead (-: At the moment I'm
still seriously considering a eucalyptus, as the RHA guide seems to
think a niphophila won't go past 20ft.

I haven't looked up final height details etc. but would hornbeam do it?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

On Fri, 31 Jan 2003 22:43:56 -0000, Inge Jones
wrote:

snip
At the moment I'm
still seriously considering a eucalyptus, as the RHA guide seems to
think a niphophila won't go past 20ft.

FWIW, we planted a 2' eucalyptus last ?April? - now 8' - hope to train
it to be a 6' - 10' - have been told to be cruel to be kind to stop it
getting out of control - fantastic colour and evergreen! Good choice.

In article ,
says...

I haven't looked up final height details etc. but would hornbeam do it?

When I looked up hornbeam, although the height looked about right, it
said it gives heavy shade. One of my requirements is a light or sparse
canopy.

in article , Inge Jones at
wrote on 1/2/03 9:54 am:

In article ,
says...

I haven't looked up final height details etc. but would hornbeam do it?

When I looked up hornbeam, although the height looked about right, it
said it gives heavy shade. One of my requirements is a light or sparse
canopy.

We planted two rows down a drive some years ago and they were fastigiate so
cast no shade - can't remember the variety, though. I still think you're
better go with a eucalyptus, though. The other thing which would be
*lovely* if you can find it is a Rhamnus - the one with variegated foliage.
I say 'if you can find it' because they're not easy to find, possibly
because they're very hard to propagate. You can keep it clipped to shape
and the one we have at the bottom of our biggest lawn sort of lights up the
garden during a very dull time of year otherwise.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

In article ,
Inge Jones wrote:
In article ,
says...

I haven't looked up final height details etc. but would hornbeam do it?

When I looked up hornbeam, although the height looked about right, it
said it gives heavy shade. One of my requirements is a light or sparse
canopy.

I still think that you would be better off with a hazel or willow.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

In article ,
says...

I still think that you would be better off with a hazel or willow.

Well, a long white visible trunk and the leaves all near the top is one
of my attractions to the birch or eucalyptus, so they're still my
preference at the moment. My mother had a willow in her garden and you
couldn't see the trunk, or even yourself through it (-: Anything where
the foliage starts too low down and it would be too claustrophobic.
Remember the length of my garden, and that the tree can only be 15-20ft
from the house...

In article ,
Inge Jones wrote:
In article ,
says...

I still think that you would be better off with a hazel or willow.

Well, a long white visible trunk and the leaves all near the top is one
of my attractions to the birch or eucalyptus, so they're still my
preference at the moment. My mother had a willow in her garden and you
couldn't see the trunk, or even yourself through it (-: Anything where
the foliage starts too low down and it would be too claustrophobic.
Remember the length of my garden, and that the tree can only be 15-20ft
from the house...

You can easily prune both of those into that form, and most forms of
hazel and many species of willow will adapt quite happily. I agree
that their trunks aren't white. Note that I was NOT suggesting any
of the very large willows - e.g. not S. alba and especially not
S. babylonica.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679