No wonder every bone in my body aches : )

Neighbor behind me asked if we were interested in going half on a fence and this took place this week.

I wonder if you remember my dilemma of that ugly first tree, she said it's an eyesore, take it down, I told her I felt bad because it was giving her privacy when she was in her sunroom but she said it was okay..........so down that sucker came!!

Now I have to think of what to plant there that will grow quick, I'm guessing around 15 feet, I'm not sure how much sun I get in that area, will have to pay more attention when we finally get some sun around here.

Any suggestions for some fast growing trees. I don't want to cover the entire fence just where her sunroom is.

I'm in the process of removing all the tiny rocks so I can expand that bed.

We're also thinking of building a small retaining wall along the fence and planting some flowers and shrubs.....the wheels are turning.

here's the before

before

and one more before

I shouldn't really say this is the "after" it's "in progress"

another "in progress" going to buy a bench and place in front of the tree.

is it too late in the season to try seeding grass now I know the fall is a good time to seed but I am going to hate to look at that dirt until the fall, especially since we're going to be having a few "parties" back there this summer.

Thinking of making a border around the tree and possibly filling it with lily of the valley? what do you think? any other suggestions????

can't wait to read what you guys suggest!

I think it looks awesome, but I agree with the privacy. It will look really good when you're done.

What kind of tree are you thinking about? One of my favorites is a crepe myrtle. I also saw an absolutely gorgeous japanese maple the other day at the nursery called 'Coral Bark'. The leaves are green but the trunk and stems are red, so even in the winter it's attractive looking.

I can also see LOTS of daylillies in that area, if it gets enough sun. If not, maybe a whole bed filled with hostas. I'm not real into the lily of the valley b/c it's never really looked that impressive to me (sorry).

I meant lily of the valley for under the tree, since it will be very shady there. Any other suggestions for under the tree.

.........

It looks so nice and clean just the way it is - what a difference!

Looks really great, love that new fence and how wonderful to share the expense and hopefully the work that was involved!! Can you afford to put in sod so you won't have to wait on seeding grass in? Love how it is all coming together. I don't have any suggestions on plants, sorry. I'm sure you'll get several good ones shortly. I am on my way to the nursery soon with my list of suggestions from the good folks here so I'll check back to see your progress.

Now that the space is free, you can do any number of things, sky's the limit (sort of). It just depends on what you WANT.

1) It can be a great living experiment flower (and vegetable) bed, you can try anything you dream of.

2) you could put a great COVERED sitting/conversation/entertaining area there (covered due to overhead birds)

As for privacy, you do have a six foot fence right? Personally, I like the open space and wouldn't put trees there again. Unless the neighbors are throwing water balloons or are peeping-toms from their second foor windows, the fence would give me all the privacy I need.

Shading or offering privacy for the NEIGHBOR'S sun room with YOUR tree is not your responsibility. Let them worry about that and plant their own tree!

Gelato!!..OH MY your new fence is AWESOME and LOOK at all the NEW PLANTING AREA...how thrilling..yipppppeeeee...
Might I suggest you try planting a Vitex They can be grown to be a tree of Shrub..I just planted one and it's forming flowerbuds even now as I type this and I am banging my brains out to find where I can plant another one...it is growing so fast too!!..
I would line the whole bloody fence with them if it was me..LOL..They bloom from May until September here!!...Well done..you deserve to sit and have a cocktail and be proud..job well done..can't wait to see pics of what you decide to do!!..Jeanne

That nice deck, it looks as if it comes off your upper level in the picture. What room does it come off of? I don't think I would put another tree there. You've got a new canvas to work with. Does your fence surround your entire back yard? If so, you wouldn't have to worry about deer eating your plants. Do you have any container plants on your deck? A bench in front of the tree would be nice, let that be your private sanctuary. Put some containers beside the bench. Is that your storage shed? If so, why not plant several clematis there that would give you color. What about Iris or daylilies? Maybe somebody here that has gardening software can draw you up a fun sketch. I think the sod idea is smart until you decided what you wanted to do. Take your time deciding, sometimes when we do things in haste, we regret it later. Enjoy! What would that neighbor have done if you hadn't gone in half with her on that fence? Would she have still put it up?

hi gelato. yes, you've got a beautiful blank canvas to work with; take it slow. visit nurseries and ask questions; take your pics with you. sun or shade will play a part in what you can plant so maybe wait till the big tree leafs out to determine your shady areas. invest in some books or mags for ideas or visit the library. a nice mix of ornamental tree, flowering and non-flowering shrubs and perennials will look great. then fill in with annuals. good luck and have fun.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: maggiejoe,

I find my public library a great source of gardening books/magazines and hey, they are loaned FREE! You could get some great ideas from them. Another suggestion is take your photos with you when you are shopping for plants. Maybe engage a landscape designer's help, sometimes they will do if Free if you buy all the plants from the nursery where they work.

gelato, gal, it's gorgeous out there!... if I remember right, that tree was the cause of your very first post to us here????.... we made you keep it then.... LOL!!.... but now it's gone, that area with the new fence is superb!!!!....I'd say no to the lily of the valley.... first cuz it's hail to be rid of later, needs deep shade *you won't have that with all that white reflecting!* and lotsa water.....

I'd go ahead and seed for grass if that's what you want there.... if you're not sure, I'd fill it with a nice shredded pine mulch.. very fine..... that will be mixable with the soil if you change your mind or come up with the perfect thing for back there..... I'm trying to come up with what I'm imagining... something 'structural'... architectural.... against the fence.... trellis in black, that kind of thing..... maybe a wall fountain?.... definite sitting area!.... and as for the neighbor?.... her sunroom?... you got years to be looking at that cuz no tree is going to hide that anytime soon....!!.... how about a nice crepe myrtle?.... buy it bigger.... a RED one?... *smile*..............a crabapple would really be a statement there, but it's messy..... oh, I'm stumped right now... it's four am.............seeya in the morning!!.... LOL!!!