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How many trees can you fit in a garden?

PyraPyra Posts: 152
Hello, I've decided I want a rowan tree in my front garden, as they seem to have lots of wildlife benefits and don't get too massive. I quite fancy an elder too, but I'm not sure if I have room for two trees. From the nursery info both will get to about 10 metres eventually. 

My garden is about 5 metres by 7 metres, exposed and windy, north facing but with a fair bit of sun early and late, acidic clay soil. 

I'm not looking to do anything soon, I'm just planning (and climbing the walls!). Thanks for any input you might have. 
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  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    Rowan Joseph Rock is quite an upright tree and will take 20 years to reach full size but nothing stops you from pruning to keep it fairly compact. The  heights not a problem .I don't know whether 2 trees are too many but elders i think can be treated more like shrubs or at least the fancy ones are,  which varieties are you considering?
  • PyraPyra Posts: 152
    Thanks so much @K67 and @Treeface. I really don't mind which varieties, as long as they have some benefit for wildlife. I'm trying to do as much wildlife friendly gardening as I can. 
  • DaffydillyDaffydilly Posts: 78
    Zambuca Black Lace...bees love blossom and birds love berries.  A beautiful tree-like shrub....mine is 9 feet tall.   Stunning colour not to be missed.  My back garden is about
    the same size and I`ve also fitted in a small crab apple.  Also a rowan which I love.  Even have an acer.   As long as you control them they will look fabulous :)  
    Here, there and everywhere
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    edited May 2020
    My front garden has a border 40ft x 8ft:  when I bought the house six years ago, this border contained a beech, a copper beech, an elder, a laburnum, a spiny tree whose name I can never remember, several conifers and a tree-sized cordyline.  They were all thriving, except the laburnum; it looked healthy but the heartwood was rotten.  I got rid of most of them because I wanted to grow fruit and flowers, but kept the elder and the beech.  Since then, I've had the tree surgeon back to take the top off the beech which was taller than the house.  I've pruned the elder myself with loppers and a handsaw. They're doing fine.  I've planted three fruit trees at the back of the border which I will train as espaliers, and a small acer, about 5', at the front.  Lots of flowering plants under and around them all.
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    My garden is about the same size. I have a hawthorn, not the common one, it's Crataegus persimilis Prunifolia and the size after 20 years is 5x4m so it's ideal. It's been wonderful to watch all of the bees and hoverflies all over it and in autumn it was amusing to watch the blackbirds throwing the haws on the ground :D Had a big garden overhaul last year and put it some large raised beds, planting two plums and a greengage. They're on pixy rootstock so they shouldn't get much bigger than 3 metres tall. As with the hawthorn, there was lots of activity around the blossom and now I'm looking forward to the fruit!   
  • PyraPyra Posts: 152
    Thanks everyone, that's really encouraging! I was thinking I was being silly trying to get two of them in there, but from this I should be fine. Think I might be hard pressed for 3? I also have a hedge and a couple of bushes planned. 

    Next question is: how far apart do they need to be? A couple of metres? Thanks. 
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    I don't know that there's a rule of thumb about distance between trees, it would depend on the size of the ones you're growing. My fruit trees are about two metres apart and I'd say the hawthorn is about the same to the nearest plum tree. I planted irrigation rings with all of them so I'm hoping that'll lead to less competition for water.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Just a tiny word of caution @pyra88 - insurance companies can get very snippy about the distancing of trees from houses. While the ones you're considering aren't difficult in any way, just bear it in mind when you're positioning them.  :)
    Sambucus can benefit from being kept pruned, but it would be nice to let the Rowan do it's thing properly. Lovely trees when well planted and cared for, although they're generally quite straightforward. The native one will grow anywhere as long as it has some moisture, but the cultured varieties are generally pretty easy too. 
    I personally wouldn't grow more than a couple in such a small space, especially if you have a lot of other planting, or more planned. It depends on what your soil and local climate is like though. Always nice to see shrubs and trees being given the space to thrive, and show themselves off to their best. Your garden though  :)

    As you say your site is windy, just make sure to stake properly from the start, so that it gets down into the ground well.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    @Fairygirl good point. I think generally they want to know whether it's within 5 metres of the house. Two of my plums are but as they're dwarves I doubt an insurer would be bothered. I did work in subsidence claims many years ago and I don't recall a fruit tree ever being an issue, just the usual suspects, willow, leylandii etc. What's sad about it all is how many people are having trees removed for insurance reasons even though they aren't a risk. When I had a tree surgeon out last year to remove my declining maple, he said it's happening left right and centre. Of course people aren't planting them either because of the same concern 😞
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It tends to be within 30 feet on most of the policies , in my experience.

    I don't know how difficult they can ultimately be, as I've never had the misfortune to have to deal with that, but judging how awkward they are in lots of other scenarios, I wouldn't want to risk annoying them!  I lived nearby for almost 20 years, and we had a beautiful Maple in the front garden. Never a problem, and didn't cause any light issues either as the garden faced north west. It was stunning in autumn too. The people who bought the house butchered it a couple of years ago when they sold it.
    I can't bear to walk past - it's utterly hideous. I wonder if that's the reason they did it?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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