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Sangria
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: May-28-2009 at 8:54pm
I want to take out this tall bush/shrub. I think it's a California Lilac. It's evergreen with small leaves and blooms a small blue flower. It's gotten leggy, hasn't been pruned right, and has a few dead branches/leaves. It's just not in the right spot so out it goes!
So... what should I plant? This is an awesome little shared Secret Garden between me and my neighbor. It gets morning sun. The space is narrow--10 feet between our two houses with a pathway up the middle and a 3 1/2 - 4 foot wide garden space on each side of the pathway. I was thinking something evergreen to hide the neighbor's utility boxes, but decidious would be okay.
I may like something that eventually we could walk under, but not get too bushy or overtake the space. We like feeling hidden when we sit outside at the cafe' table. Nothing in the red family. I only plant purple, pink, blue, white and every shade of green in this space (I'm a little obsessive ;) ). My neighbor lets me plant whatever I want between our two houses because I do all the upkeep on the space. It's my favorite little escape.
Any ideas?
Sorry I couldn't get the photos bigger. Feel free to send me a message and I could send bigger photos via email.
Thanks bunches!
Sandra
greenmann
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: May-29-2009 at 12:12am
In a small tree, a Vine Maple would be lovely in there, though it does get red/orange/yellow fall color. If you want purple, i suppose a purple beach or something similar might work beautifully, though the shade under these is a little somber for my taste. I like looking at the leaves, and looking up through them into the sun is kinda cool, but the shade gets rather dark and, well somber.
How about white flowers? A serviceberry might be nice, or a mock orange, trained up into a small tree or over a trellis or something. Or just limb up the ceanothus, if you want a tree. They are easy to prune at any time, btw, so long as you don't go too deep into the old wood in summer. I can see why you like the space though. Its a beautiful little nook. Green Man Gardens
growest
Location: Western British Columbia
Posted: May-29-2009 at 6:20am
Hi Sandra--yes that's a neat little area, so nice to have a destination for relaxing. I suspect the ceanothus is less than happy with only morning sun, too bad, it is a gorgeous shrub when doing well.
One possibility is nandina. The canes can be thinned out or left to bulk up depending on the space you wish it to occupy. (I'm thinking the species, not one of the new dwarf cultivars which aren't nearly as vigorous but have their charms as well).
silver_ creek
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posted: May-29-2009 at 6:33am
If you want evergreen, tree like, but narrow, how about a Eucryphia? They seem to like morning sun, tall and narrow, and great summer flowers.
Deciduous suggestions, maybe a Stewartia pseudocamellia or Styrax obassia. Both beautiful, somewhat narrow trees, great winter form on both, good flowers on both, and good fall color on the Stewartia. Even smaller would be Stewartia rostrata.
Terry M.
Fern
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posted: May-29-2009 at 8:06am
Stewartia has very nice bark, too, and a nice branching pattern. As much as I like the Calif. Lilac, it does have a stiff branching pattern and isn't very graceful.
Fern
Joy C
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: May-29-2009 at 1:01pm
How about a vine? like a clematis? Tommyb had a picture of his clematis last year posted here, and it inspired me to ask husband to build an arched trellis to accomodate pair of clematis vines.
Joy
Sangria
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: May-29-2009 at 6:37pm
Wow! What a great bunch of ideas. I'm off to research all your suggestions!
Sandra
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton