we live in surrey bc in a 4 year old home on 1/2 acre. we bought the house last year and the landscaping was so poorly done in the back that it is being re-done by a professional landscaping company this year. our landscaper has suggested the use of maple trees in the plan but we are reluctant to use them based on past experiences of shallow roots destroying a patio we welcome suggstions for alternate species which do not suffer from this problem. i like a few dogwoods and some othe trees i have found on the internet. we welcome all suggestions
You'll have to provide more details for this to amount to anything. What are the site conditions like? What do you want the new trees to do, including how big do you want them to get?
Speaking of maples this one is a unique garden tree and should be considered. http://www.greatplantpicks.org/index.php?page=display&id=2197&searchterm=tree&searchtype=committee
It sounds like your previous experience with maples was based on poor planning alone, not because of the tree itself. Any tree needs to be planted with its maximum possible size in mind, and it's important to remember that roots don't mirror the canopy.. they can be three times as wide as the canopy! Dogwoods (and many other native trees) also love water and "have shallow, far-reaching root systems" (http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/dogwoodfaq2.html) so just switching the tree type won't necessarily help. Plus Pacific dogwoods are apparently more susceptible to illness and trunk injury. How about trying the smaller native Vine Maple (Acer Circinatum)? It grows to about 10'. Or Japanese Maples?
It is sometimes easier to start with what trees are actually available and select from those - check local nurseries, or wherever your landscaper buys. Search the internet with the names or get a tree book and look them up; based on size, appearance, density of shade, shape, features, and also root issues, you may find something that turns your crank. It matters what type of maple your landscaper wants to use. A Japanese Maple shouldn't be a problem, for example.
