Hi there! I am brand new at posting so not sure if I am doing this right, but here goes...! I am about to start landscaping my tiny yard in Kitsilano - new townhouse - nooooo privacy....and expect to have tons of questions over the next while, but to begin...I would like to plant a tree in a half barrel to sit on my back deck and screen me a bit from the neighbours and the sun...deck is very very hot and sunny - full southern exposure and no shade all day. Deciduous would be fine...could grow as high as 10 feet...leaves could have maybe a six or eight foot spread up above the railing...does not need to bloom altho blooms are always wonderful. Guidance appreciated muchly! Cheers! Diana Lynn
HI Diana There are about a cazillion plants/trees/shrubs that come to mind Are you talking about a yard or a raised deck / ( ie over 5 foot off the ground. Do you live in a strata? What are the wieght restriction on your deck? Regards Doug
That sounds somewhat familiar to my own scenario, you may wish to check out my posting: "Making Plans to Grow a Grapevine on a Deck "
I think you should grow a Palm tree. Trachycarpus fortunei would look great on any deck, keep it well watered in the summer
I would look for dwarf varieties of trees for container growing. You can use 2-gallon pots to grow dwarf citrus trees and conifers on a balcony with room to spare. You could also select small flowering trees and dwarf varieties of larger trees like junipers for pots in the midsize range. I have more ides on my website at www.easygardeningsecrets.blogspot.com Hope this is helpful. Lots of luck and Happy Growing!
Are we talking one of those oak half barrels? That's ok for some trees for a while, but will not support an 8' tree. You would need to replace the tree long before it reaches that size, or is that what it could grow to, but is not necessary? If you are thinking an oak half barrel, you could also consider shrubs. Some won't need to be replaced as quickly.
Yes, if your container isn't big enough for the tree you'll be watering daily, especially as a half barrel has more surface area than depth and will lose water quickly. I too am curious whether you are are ground level or above. If at ground level, why a half-barrel and not in the ground? As for what trees, it also depends how you wish to shop. We could advise tree type Z, but you might have to mail order to get that. You're almost best off to visit some nurseries, and see if any of the trees in stock will meet your criteria.
I agree to the idea of palms. I've seen palms and bannana plants in Chinese egg pots and they seem to do alright. This link was in another forum here. Maybe it can help. http://www.bambooworld.com/bamboo catalogue.htm
