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Old 10-11-2005, 10:42 AM
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Help with plant choice

Have a customer who has got me stumped -- every idea I come up with for a plant she doesn't like.

I cannot find the right plant for her. Hoping the collective intelligence of this board can give me the right one.

I have attached crudimentry pic of the area. But essentially, it is a small bed directly in front of her front door in a town house. The bed is 6' x 12'. Opposit the door is asmall 3' SRW retaining wall.

Here are criteria. Hse i is not a plant person so it is difficult to figure out what she wants.

* A dogwood" shaped tree
* Pink Flowering
* NOT weeping

The bed get unsheltered western exposure and is really baked in the afternoons and evenings.

Any ideas on small trees that would fit in this area or a shrub that would be tree like enough for her?
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Old 10-11-2005, 10:54 AM
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What has she rejected so far? That is a pretty small tree space as it is.
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Old 10-11-2005, 11:29 AM
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How about Hibiscus "standard" ?

http://www.vanmeuwen.com/pix/m/6/64510.jpg
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Old 10-11-2005, 11:42 AM
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Rejected:

Dwarf Pink Princess Crabapple
Weeping Snow Foiuntain cherry
Weeping pussy Willow
Lilac on a standard
Japanese Maple
Sweetbay magnolia

Hibiscus would be a great choice -- if i lived about 500 miles south of here. I am in zone 5a

Last edited by Hamons : 10-11-2005 at 11:46 AM.
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Old 10-11-2005, 12:18 PM
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How about 'Pink Chimes' Styrax? I love Styrax!
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Old 10-11-2005, 12:21 PM
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Another choice would be 'Ruby Spice' Clethra. Get a big one and prune off the lower limbs to tree-form. Looks nice that way.

Or maybe one of the tetraploid rose-of-sharon varieties, tree-formed (that might be what HDK was suggesting).
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Old 10-11-2005, 02:01 PM
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Just a couple more possibilities...

'Avondale' Chinese Redbud -- fits that space perfectly
Star Magnolia
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Last edited by trees : 10-11-2005 at 02:05 PM.
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Old 10-11-2005, 02:40 PM
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OK, we are planting something that will be next to a sidewalk and in front of the front door. We want something that won't poke the passerby in the eye and won't block the view to the front door. I don't have the exact dimensions but I'm thinking stay smaller than a dogwood type tree.

You could do a boxwood hedge along the SRW and plant some nice perennials on the inside of that hedge for a 'hidden garden'. If you want add some specimen evergreens for some winter interest.

If I was thinking flowering I'd be going with a medium sized flowering shrub, such as abeilia, fothergilla, hydrangea, RUBY SPICE CLETHRA, in the center with something evergreen on the sides, like a Blue Star Juniper, Ground Cover Juniper, or a personal favorite Siberian Carpet.

I keep seing this bed with some Ivory Halo Red twig Dogwod, variegated foliage in summer and red stems in winter, in the center with an evergreen groundcover type plant around it. I might work in one other flowering shrub or perennial to keep it intersting, but not too busy.

Keep the view to the door 'open' and don't make it feel like the tree next to the walk is going to clock you in the head when you walk by.
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Last edited by jwholden : 10-11-2005 at 02:43 PM.
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Old 10-11-2005, 02:57 PM
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This has turned into one of those giant PITA jobs. However, I don't want to quit now.

She is deadset on a Tree. There is actually a dwarf crabapple that I put in there -- but now she says is too ugly to keep. I'll have to pull it out.

If I had free reign it would look VERY different.
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Old 10-11-2005, 03:10 PM
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Oh, ok.

Give her a single stem Japanese Stewartia and prune it up as it gets older. You'll maintain the view to the door and it is 'fairly' slow growing.

Nice bark in the winter, tight habit that won't spread too wide, camellia like flowers in June-July. I'd still plant it as far from the sidewalk as I could.

Come to think of it, I have one in front of my house in almost the same position. I planted it three years ago and I'm already thinking about moving it or limbing it up.
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As a father I was always aware that I was raising my sons to leave home, marry, establish families, and be men who could stand on their own two feet. We must fulfill our own destiny. I really wasn't concerned about what they might 'do' but I wanted them to 'be' good men.
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Old 10-11-2005, 05:22 PM
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Yeddo Euonymus
Euonymus hamiltonianus

Gets a pale pink fruit

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Old 10-11-2005, 06:02 PM
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Hydrangea
PEEGEE HYDRANGEA STANDARD
Hydrangea paniculata "Grandiflora" grows in Zones 5-9 up to 2m high.
Small standard with showy flower heads in late August. Opening white, later turning pink.

You can keep it pruned easily each year to keep it the
size and shape you want.
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Old 10-11-2005, 06:05 PM
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Purple Plum or Sand Cherry
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Old 10-11-2005, 06:22 PM
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Giant PITA job?...then the Pain-Garden Palette would be most appropriate.

Try Cockspur Hawthorne for its many 2" thorns and fragrant flowers.

Or maybe Osage-orange for its many thorns and copious fruit.

Or maybe Flowering Quince for its many thorns and sprawling habit.


Call it Divine-Justice Landscaping!
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Old 10-11-2005, 07:03 PM
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Actually GIANT PITA just because of how small it is -- and how much work it has turned into -- you know the ones.

She is definitely going to have to say Give final say on the plant. I like the idea of TF hydrangea -- that was the only option I had left ready to use.

Chinese Redbud alos sounds like a cool plant -- but have not seen it in these parts. Wonder why?

You guys are awesome -- Thnak you for your help -- it has put me on the right track -- I'll let you know how it goes!

Gotta love a customer who thinks she knows best and we have to find away so it looks like she does!

I need to look at some of the other plant -- my main supplier of plants did not have many in their catalog. I like Stewarti -- looking online -- but have never seen it in these parts.

Clethera I love -- but I have only seen them as small 5 gallon shrubs -- never TF.

TF Rose-of Sharon is a good option -- but MAN -- I hate Rose-ofSharon and try not to use them.
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