Are there any Ornamental Trees (i.e. 20 feet and less) that are not problematic in the landscape (besides crape myrtles)?

[Esther Knapicius]

Just saw an awesome witchhazel in my garden magazine, says its fragrant. its yellow with deep orange center, blooms in November. Just don't have a spot yet. Have to make a new spot if I want it.

 

[scott784]

I bought a rising sun last year and hope to see it look like this in the spring. Foilage not flowers yet the same effect as flowers for my yard. View attachment 86746

Funny you should post this picture because I was just looking at a picture of it the other day. The Rising Sun Redbud is very unique, for sure! And I am considering purchasing it and planting in my back yard (outside my bedroom window). Of course, it's a tree that stays small and fits anywhere.

 

[scott784]

Thanks for that.
We live in a suburb in south Manchester, in the Mersey Valley. We're ten minutes from Manchester United's football ground to the north and the same amount of time from open countryside to the south.
Our garden is only 85ft long and is less than 2000 sq ft. But we've packed a lot in. All the hard landscaping and building work I did myself.

Until three years ago the middle patio was a 3000 gall koi pool I built by myself in 1986. But I closed it down and had itr filled in and paved over as it developed a serious and the liner would have been hard to change.

Here's a tour.

Yes, I think I need someone like you to design a garden at my house. My home is new construction on a piece of land that had no trees or any landscaping whatsoever. So just trying to get started with it, more so this coming Spring. Right now, all I've got are a couple of Red Maple trees and one Crepe Myrtle.

Thanks to the Jet Stream, I think you guys get plenty of rain and moderate temperatures year-round in England, especially at your northern latitude (perhaps Scotland being more of the exception to those moderate temps). So, I am sure your garden thrives.

Here in the southeastern US, our summers are very hot and humid. And even though we get more rain than out west, I think our peak temperatures in summer stress a lot of plants to the max, unless they are well taken care of. I do have an old friend who has a garden that seems to thrive (a little bit like yours). But it's under a canopy of large trees - and I think that makes a big difference, especially in this climate.

This is why Crepe Myrtle trees are so popular in the southern US. They are heat tolerate down to around 0 Fahrenheit or (I think) about -17 Celsius while at the same time thriving in our long, hot summers, without the stress factors of so many other plants. But landscaping with Crepe Myrtles "only" (along with standard shrubs that many folks plant next to their home in the front of the home), could be considered boring by many who are into (or getting into) landscaping and gardening.

 

[Sean Regan]

Yes, I think I need someone like you to design a garden at my house. My home is new construction on a piece of land that had no trees or any landscaping whatsoever. So just trying to get started with it, more so this coming Spring. Right now, all I've got are a couple of Red Maple trees and one Crepe Myrtle.

Thanks to the Jet Stream, I think you guys get plenty of rain and moderate temperatures year-round in England, especially at your northern latitude (perhaps Scotland being more of the exception to those moderate temps). So, I am sure your garden thrives.

Here in the southeastern US, our summers are very hot and humid. And even though we get more rain than out west, I think our peak temperatures in summer stress a lot of plants to the max, unless they are well taken care of. I do have an old friend who has a garden that seems to thrive (a little bit like yours). But it's under a canopy of large trees - and I think that makes a big difference, especially in this climate.

This is why Crepe Myrtle trees are so popular in the southern US. They are heat tolerate down to around 0 Fahrenheit or (I think) about -17 Celsius while at the same time thriving in our long, hot summers, without the stress factors of so many other plants. But landscaping with Crepe Myrtles "only" (along with standard shrubs that many folks plant next to their home in the front of the home), could be considered boring by many who are into (or getting into) landscaping and gardening.

Yes we get a fairly mild climate.

That's why for "location" under my avatar I have "The Tropic of Trafford."
We are surrounded by hills on three sides, which keeps us reasonably well protected, we haven't had snow of any significance for ten years.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I just got 3 Fuyu whips in the mail. Nice. I forgot I ordered them. Merry Christmas to me! I love the big orange persimmons on the bare tree this time of year.

 

[scott784]

Yes we get a fairly mild climate.

That's why for "location" under my avatar I have "The Tropic of Trafford."
We are surrounded by hills on three sides, which keeps us reasonably well protected, we haven't had snow of any significance for ten years.

Yes, you do have a fairly mild climate for your northern location with no extremes in temperatures year-round.

The Jet stream seems to work wonders in parts of Britain and other areas of western Europe with cool summers and relatively mild winters. This is in contrast to similar latitudes (to you) such as in Canada where they might get a bit warmer in summer than your location, while having bitterly cold and long winters.