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Amending the soil under a large Leylandii Cypress and suggestions for replacements?

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  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    edited April 2020
    I think mine is "Ballerina" from memory, I'll see if I can find the details in my plant card index.
    There may be small dwarf birches available, I do know the multi-stemmed ones are usually smaller in height. It's still a rather small space to plant a tree though and it's close to the house foundations. Having said that, we have a Council planted 14 m high birch about 3 m away from our house (the other side of our boundary wall), hence the "mess" caveat.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • dappledshadedappledshade Posts: 1,017
    Ballerina is lovely, I have one in my front garden. Tree type, rather than multi stemmed bush. It’s only into its first year here but has already given us so much pleasure, with its bronze young leaves, then spectacular white flowers. The green leaves it has now are soft and billow in the slightest breeze. It’s a very elegant tree that allows lots of light through to the plants behind it. I’d definitely recommend it. Max height of about 4m.

  • Ballerina is lovely, I have one in my front garden. Tree type, rather than multi stemmed bush. It’s only into its first year here but has already given us so much pleasure, with its bronze young leaves, then spectacular white flowers. The green leaves it has now are soft and billow in the slightest breeze. It’s a very elegant tree that allows lots of light through to the plants behind it. I’d definitely recommend it. Max height of about 4m.

    Sounds lovely! The nursery I'm in contact with have a few ballerinas in stock- multi-stemmed plants between 1.5 and 1.75m, in a 20l pot.

    Has yours grown quite quickly?

    Also, do you have any experience with multi-stemmed trees? Most of them look like bushes- but I'd like to end up one with a good 1-1.5m clearance underneath. More of a classic tree shape? Is that kind of thing easy enough to achieve? I have no experience with trees whatsoever!

    Thanks

  • Lizzie27 said:
    I think mine is "Ballerina" from memory, I'll see if I can find the details in my plant card index.
    There may be small dwarf birches available, I do know the multi-stemmed ones are usually smaller in height. It's still a rather small space to plant a tree though and it's close to the house foundations. Having said that, we have a Council planted 14 m high birch about 3 m away from our house (the other side of our boundary wall), hence the "mess" caveat.
    I'd love to see your birch if you have any photos!

    They're just so darned beautiful. I went on a walk this lunchtime and managed to find some.

    The one pictured (at a guess) is about 10m, and is 'upright' enough that it'd fit really nicely in my wee area. Of course it'd be large, but I don't mind it being considerably taller than the house, since it'd be along the North boundary, with nothing but the road to shade. I just don't know if the trees pictured are mature or not..

    Also really love the look of amelanchiers, having researched on your suggestion. The multi stemmed ones look more bush than tree though- that's the only thing. 
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    With multi-stemmed trees, you would just need to remove (at the right time) any lower branches that tried to grow. I'll have a look for a photo of the birch.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    edited April 2020



    @Gaughan.david

    Photos taken today of 'our' birches. Difficult to photo the full height of them, my hedge man estimated them at 40/50 ft and still growing. They're away above our loft Velux window that's for sure! The first tree near the top of the garden is a Norwegian Maple, far bigger than it looks here. Unnerving in gale force winds. (Sorry, can't seem to alter position of wording)

    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • Hi Lizzie! Thanks for showing me- you're totally right. Those are several times too big for my wee front garden. 

    Perhaps I'll focus my search on Amelanchier and Prunus. Pink Perfection looks lovely.. 

    Thanks! 
  • How about a Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette' it would look rather elegant against the stone. A bit more info here: https://www.ornamental-trees.co.uk/liquidambar-styraciflua-slender-silhouette-tree-p674
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
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