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| Hi,
I had a fence between the front and back of my yard that was a bit unslightly so I took it down. On the plus side the fence hid some stuff in the backyard, I'll clean some of that up. However I'd still like some kind of barrier in front of my shed - see the picture:
The tree in the foreground shades this area - it is a good sized maple. There's a plastic compost bin on the left side, that will be moved out. And roughly where the stepping stones are I'm going to put in a full walkway. The small trees you see in front of the shed are Rose of Sharon - since the area is in deep shade, they never did well and I'll probably remove/move them. So what I'd like to do is to run some shrubs in front of the shed - I have a wood pile there that I'd like to cover. So I'd like something that would spread a bit and be at least 4' tall. There's plenty of ivy on the ground there - I can take that up. Any suggestions? Thanks!
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Follow-Up Postings:
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| Acuba, Pieris, Skimmia japanica, ferns, hosta....? |
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- Posted by mainegrower Z5b ME (My Page) on Fri, Mar 19, 10 at 5:38
| The picture pretty clearly shows that the tree is a Norway maple. All maples are difficult to garden under or near but Norway maples are the worst. They produce dense shade, shed most of the rain like an umbrella and produce roots so dense and fibrous there's no way to dig. What I'd suggest is tough, hardy rhododdendrons such as species maximum or the old iron clad hybrids. Don't even try to make planting holes. Instead, add a deep layer of partially decomposed bark on top and plant in that. Yes, the maple roots will colonize it, but with proper attention to water and fertilzer, the rhododendrons will hold their own. |
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- Posted by maureeninmd z6 MD (My Page) on Fri, Mar 19, 10 at 9:20
| Aucuba would probably be the best choice for growing under those conditions (shade, root competition). |
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| Thanks for the reply folks! Actually there's not much root competition where the shrubs will grow - I think the picture is a bit misleading. There's about 25 feet between the shed & the maple, where I'll be planting is relatively root free. I'll start looking for some of these choices! |
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