Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

What type of trees to plant a long a driveway

Mark ShawMark Shaw Posts: 1
in Plants

Hi all

i am just finishing off my new family home I'm building and now starting to think about landscaping. The house is set back from the road by about 50m, the driveway is to the side of the property, with our 1/2 acre paddock to one side (in front of the house) and large fields of crops on the other side (was winter wheat) . I'm thinking of planting trees along the drive to make a feature of the long drive but I have no idea what to plant. I want the tree to be in keeping not like trees to a stately home. The position is fairly exposed, about 40cm of topsoil then clay, the drive is on a gentle slope of a hill, so can have water running along the top of the soil. We are in north Essex. To give you an idea of the soil, roses and apple trees do well here

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,140

    I'd go for a selection of different native-type crab apples as here http://www.readsnursery.co.uk/native-trees-for-wildlife/

    You'll have blossom in the spring and fruit for jellies and/or wildlife - wild birds will love the apples both on the tree and when they fall - and in the winter you'll have flocks of long tailed tits arriving to scour the cracks in the bark for little insects. 

    Some naturalised spring bulbs underneath and it'll be a picture without being overly formal.

    image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    Only problem is that 50m is a lot of trees and a lot of windfalls and apples and a lot of work clearing up! I would go for something non fruiting.

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,036

    They could be mixed with other trees, such as Rowan, Liquid Amber and Amelanchier. But I think the birds, small mammals and insects would clear up any unwanted crab apples.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410

    You could go for an avenue of white stemmed himalayam birch (betula jaquemontii) - they are lovely and airy in summer and striking in winter, when their white bark really stands out.

    Something a bit like this:

    image

     

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    My last house had a similar driveway bordering a field and, had I stayed there longer, the idea was a line of white cherry trees lining the drive. Possibly something lower growing and shrubby in between each one, but all the same. Not unlike chicky's pic above image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sign In or Register to comment.