I just had a fruit tree removed from my back yard and now there is a big gaping space which I would like to fill. Any ideas on a fast growing,clean plant which would fill this big hole in my yard and provide privacy?
Look at list of patio trees in Sunset 'Western Garden Book' (or list of plants for hedges and screening, in same publication).
Trying to recommend a tree for a particular site is extremely difficult, without actually seeing the site. There are so many trees out there of varying cultivation needs, rate of growth, final height, density of the canopy, extent of the root system that most of us would need a bit more detailed information from you. Do you want an evergreen or deciduous tree? Do you want the canopy to be spreading? tall/columnar? Dense? Airy? How near is it to any standing structure (e.g., your house)? How exposed is the site? How much sun can it expect to get? What is the soil like? Are there any other desirable features you would like to see in the tree? E.g. flowers? Fruits? Good foliage colours? There is nothing worse than to plant a tree, nurse and nurture it for several years, and find that it's too big or in other ways not suitable for the site you have in mind. Knowing the answers to some of the above questions will also help you narrow down your list when researching the books or asking the "experts" about the appropriate of trees. You will get more out of experts if you can narrow your list a bit - e.g., asking "I need a tree that's tall and columnar, evergreen and grows to 30 feet" rather than asking "I need a tree". As for books, my favourite is "The Year in Trees" by is Kim E. Tripp and JC Raulston. If this is a bit too heavy to read, others that I like are "Trees for the Small Garden" by Simon Toomer and "Best Trees for Your Garden" by Allen Paterson. If you would like a book that gives you a more extensive list, try "Taylor's Guide to Trees" by Susan A. Roth. For me, best way to choose a tree is to look around and talk to people in the business. Two persons have really impressed me - Thomas Hobbs and Alan Minter. I was contemplating buying a Stewartia and visited Southlands Nursery 3 years ago. The person who asked "May I help you?" at the nursery was none other than Mr Hobbs himself. And he proceeded to give me a tour of the trees he has in the nursery, the pros and cons of them, and gave me a list of locations in Vancouver where I might find more mature examples of each one! What a guy! And Alan Minter too - on a visit to his garden, he took the time to point out some of the trees in the gardens and their virtues and problems. Since you are in Abbotsford, a visit to Art's nursery would probably be informative as well, as they have a large collection of good sized trees on site. I hope that helps a bit.
