Good morning, I'm thinking of getting rid of the Dogwood between the Crimson Queen and Koto No Ito to give them some more space, but I'd also like to put another acer in between them, ie a Summer Gold. So my question is would SG, look good between the two and more importantly would it be too close to the others? Also open to suggestions on another cultivar to fill the space, assuming one would fit.
I think Summer Gold would look fantastic in that spot - you'll have those three strong colours of red-yellow-green that will make each of them just pop (do iiiiiiiitttttt.....!) I would imagine as long as you're diligent about pruning if one of them starts outsizing the others then the spacing should be fine: you'll get a lovely mingling of leaves on either side if you let some of the side branches stretch out, too.
Well the dogwood has gone, thought I'd get on with it being a it was a pleasant afternoon. I'm having second thoughts though about the Summer Gold as I realised that it's probably not a sunny enough spot for it. So I think I'll just leave it as is for the time being, see how the two maples get on now they have more room, I can always put a potted plant in there to fill the gap while they decide what to do.
Actually, now I come to think about the it, I have a rather large concrete bird table tucked away down the garden that I've been wondering what to do with for years, hmmm.
Ooof, I bet that was a bit of work! Good idea to take it slowly if you're reconsidering - as they say, the trees aren't going anywhere in a hurry (though it's a shame if it's not sunny enough, I really do think a Summer Gold would have been perfect there otherwise!) Lucky birds, in the meanwhile!
(Ooooh, I fully expect one of our more knowledgeable members to correct me, but if the space isn't sunny enough for a Summer Gold but you're looking for a yellow upright, do you think a Jordan might be happy there?)
That's sounds like a good suggestion actually, especially as I do in fact have one that I haven't decided what to do with yet. Hmmm, decisions...
I do feel those two maples will want to fill out quite a bit growing in the ground as they are - the bird table might be the better idea in the long term. Difficult to judge the absolute scale from the pictures but if there is not enough room for the dogwood there is probably not enough room for a maple. Jordan or something similar would look good there but will likely involve a lot of pruning in the long term to keep all of them happy. The other option is to keep a potted maple in the gap for a couple of years before eventually moving it if need be... quite a nice problem to have tbh...
I think I am going to try the bird table first, I have been wanting to use it somewhere for a long time as my grandfather made it over fifty years ago, I couldn't put it out in a prominent position because I was concerned the dogs could knock it over and do themselves a serious injury, but tucked in there I think it'd be safe. I'll get on it tomorrow.
I see 3 fine-leaved maples in your photo and think a contrasting plant would look good in the empty space where the dogwood was. Don't forget that the maples on either side will become larger unless you take pains to keep them pruned. If it were me, I'd put a big, fat hosta in pot between the 2 on the right so you still have some flexibility before deciding what you might plant permanently. In my mind, a bird table shouldn't take up valuable garden space when it could easily be put on a deck or on the lawn.
I do love hostas, had quite a few over the years, just never been able to keep them in good condition for very long as they always get eaten by the usual suspects unfortunately.
Many hostas do very well in pots. Before you give up on them, why not try putting one or two in pots where you can control slugs and give them the water they need when they need it. Although I don't consider myself a big hosta fan, they are very considerate, useful and, yes, beautiful plants.
I'll certainly give it some thought when I go out later, there's probably enough room for the bird table towards the back with a couple of pots in front actually, that would look nice I think.
Heh, the slugs and snails don't let me do hostas either, although I like them very much. It looks to me like your gap is 1.5-2m maybe, which I think would make the SG very crowded after only 5 years or so. So I agree with @maf. For a maple I'd try more with a low growing, spreading laceleaf or dwarf. Kiyo hime? you could train up the Koto no ito a bit to let it safely invade that space eventually. Another option would be A. buergerianum 'Mino yatsubusa', which would make a nice dark green contrast. But it's a small space, so perhaps the bird bath is a good option!
Got it there after a struggle and I'm quite pleased with how it looks for now. Even straightened Koto up a bit. Although I'm not sure you can tell from the pictures. Time for a cup of tea and a sandwich I think.
Very nice N, well done. Can I make one observation, is that brown fencing necessary? I think if it were me I would remove it and plant a few hostas around the base of the bird bath. Just a thought !!
I know, not very pleasant is it, but I'm afraid it's the only way to keep my two mastiffs out of the beds until something substantial has grown there.
