I have a pretty tall cherry tree in my garden that's around 20ft, but I've noticed its roots are invading under my house. The previous owner didn't seem to care much about this when they planted it less than 6ft from the house! After relaying the turf, I realized how problematic this is. I constantly find bird droppings everywhere, likely because of the tree, and I'm seriously considering pruning it back or even removing it entirely. If I decide to take it out, I'm looking for suggestions on nice, smaller trees or shrubs that I can plant around the edges of my garden instead.
3 Answers
It really depends on your garden’s conditions. Is it south-facing? Do you prefer evergreen plants? The RHS website has an excellent list of trees suited for smaller gardens. I personally have camellias, mountain ash (kept pruned), a dwarf apple, laurel, hawthorn, and some hydrangeas— all are great manageable sizes!
Some Japanese maples stay on the smaller side, so they could work for you!
I’ve got some pigeons that visit mine all the time! My Japanese maple is surprisingly big, though, haha!
You might want to consider shrubs like Philadelphus, flowering currant, forsythia, weigela, deutzia, or hydrangea fuchsia. They can all add a nice touch without growing too tall!
Soil seems good after digging up the lawn, doesn't feel clay-like. It is south-facing, but there's a 6ft fence that shades a bit of the back garden. Thanks for the tips!