I frequent the tree forum and love planting the smaller than average mail order transplants. It applies to my cheap side and its pretty neat to watch them grow from almost nothing as well. So I'm more than willing to put up with a year or two of a chicken wire fence in my yard just so I can afford to plant a variegated something or other I couldn't find locally.

So what would you all put in this spot where I'm removing the big splitting white ash? My current idea is a slightly smaller tree in front of the stump and a much smaller or severely conical tree about ten feet "behind" that stump.

About 35 feet from the soon to die ash I have a metasequoia gold rush so I THINK that ornamental tree between the stump and it should be a darker leaved fella. Cherokee Chief Dogwood if I didn't have a white and two pink Cornus Floridas already.

Another consideration, is a tree needed as an accent for this side of the house or would taller shrubbery work better?

When I think of shrubbery I think of large yews or boxwoods. Had some of those covering the whole front of the garage and hiding the window. I removed that and planted them two smaller Shrubs off to the side of the window.

Or do you mean a Crape Myrtle type plant placed in the yard ten to fifteen feet from the house? I keep telling myself a small, thinner branched tree would be a good choice.

Now that you mention it, this is the north side of my house and I do dislike the limited airflow/high mold effect.

Maybe a nice evergreen for some contrast?

Looks like a great place, with lots of scope. I wonder if you are reflexively putting a replacement tree there because you like trees and there has always been one. I can see the point of trees to the west and south of the house, but north? The way I understand it, some evergreens there for protection from wind in winter is all you might need there, and they needn't be right at the house. In short, I'd be putting the trees further away and doing other kinds of gardening, or even just grass/patio, closer to the house.

The other queries have essentially asked the important questions: what do you do in this yard besides plant trees? And what can the trees do for those areas? The trees guide views, make shade, and provide services to the house (shade/shelter), but are also a source of debris, root invasion, and threat in wind. So they have very pragmatic aspects besides just being great things and botanical fun, which I totally relate to.

Planting trees around structures and amenities shouldn't be a random act if you want the trees to have a long and happy life.

KarinL

The stumps from the new tree I'm going to saw down to ground level and let nature take its course.

The yellow patch in the front yard is from zoisa grass going dormant. The stuff is spreading all around my yard. I don't particularly like it especially in the winter but removal from the mostly sun areas seems like more trouble than its worth.

Nice catch with the dumpsters. They've been moved to a spot dead center in back of the house where I used to keep the hose coiled up in.

I have Hostas all over the house and will consider spreading them to that planting area in front. Right now I have two mahonia compactas growing in front of the garage and some Thuja Occidentalis 'Snow Tip" Arborvitaes. at the corners of the porch.

Karnyl, I very much am planting new trees out of a sense of replacement coupled with liking the big fellas quite a bit. If it wasn't splitting up I'd love to leave that big ash in place. Instead I keep considering putting something one step smaller in its place. Them big ash just have too much of a spread for that spot when open grown.

Oh yeah, and I was up in a lift cutting down a rotting silver maple when I took that pic.