By: Valerie Easton

Gardeners struggle with views. It’s not that we don’t appreciate a panorama of water and mountains as much as the next homeowner, but we want our trees as well.

We hate it when our prized plants get lost in a big view. No one pauses to admire a magnolia or Japanese maple, let alone a clematis or tulip, no matter how gorgeous, when the Space Needle or Mount Rainier looms in the background. How can gardeners compete with a snow-topped volcano, a working harbor or the lights of the big city?

Competition, it turns out, is a losing game. Pursued to an extreme, you end up with a Disneyland cartoon of a garden. Yet for those who love plants, it’s discouraging to keep them pruned back and down so you don’t intrude on the vista.

“If people would just relax on trees a bit, they’ll get so much pleasure from both the trees and the wildlife they attract — and their views will be more dramatic and dynamic,” says landscape architect Charles Anderson. He suggests layering evergreen and deciduous trees for permanency, seasonality and peek-a-boo views. Trees lend shelter and shade, he says, bringing birds such as banded pigeons that need high perches. He suggests you pick your view, using trees to selectively screen out unwanted sights from the neighbors.

For a west-facing modern house high atop Queen Anne Hill, Anderson planted big leaf maples and madrones in front of the smashing view. Owner Phil Vogelzang says, “It’s bankrupt to get rid of the trees. They cut down on glare and give us shade, privacy and a close-up view of wildlife.” But do they block his view? “Trees can be sculpted,” he says.

Gardens make you feel safe and grounded, so you never have that queasy sense of standing on a precipice, according to designer Richard Hartlage of AHBL landscape design group. Like any garden, those with views must first relate in scale and style to the architecture of the house. This means that on a large property, conifers or elms might be used to frame the view. On a smaller urban or suburban lot, more modestly sized stewartias or dogwoods are an ideal foreground.

“If you can see a view from everywhere, it loses its impact,” says Hartlage. “So I make a judgment call — what am I going to highlight?” He closes in pieces of a garden for intimacy, while leading the eye toward the most magnificent views. His design for a Tacoma garden screens out the view from the street so you don’t see the water at first, while the main axis of the garden emphasizes the view out toward Puget Sound. “You use the garden to create progressive layers of foreground and mid-ground; otherwise, the view is just like a painting on the wall,” says Hartlage.

Landscape architect Bruce Hinckley, who designed the garden for Jim Dow’s home on page 42, says hectic city views can be fatiguing. He chose a limited, austere plant palette so it wouldn’t compete with Dow’s huge view of the city and Elliott Bay. Hinckley craned in a forest of mature black pines to modulate depth of field, meaning that the eye will focus on different depths and distances on its way to taking in the Space Needle and passing ships. “Trees bring the sky down so you can appreciate clouds and the changes in weather,” Hinckley says.

Trees also provide some measure of solar control and privacy. Finding just the right amount of shade and shelter on an exposed site can be a balancing act. “Remember, if you can see, you can also be seen,” says Hinckley. “And who wants to keep their blinds down?”

Too often, with a big panoramic view, people cease to really see it. By using trees as framing and foreground, Hinckley assures, “You may see less, but you’ll enjoy it more.”

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer and author of “A Pattern Garden.”

Proper watering practices are vital to the survival of a newly planted tree. The most common cause of decline in newly planted trees is improper irrigation.Improper irrigation can be either too much water or too little water, and the symptoms of stress from both can be indistinguishable.Proper irrigation requires a little investigation, continued monitoring and adjustments when necessary.

Irrigation amount and frequency are dependent on:

• Air Temperature
• Soil Texture
• Soil Structure
• Tree Species
• Season

With so many factors it is difficult to give an irrigation standard that is appropriate for all trees and landscapes.Generally, no irrigation is needed when trees are dormant.The period of dormancy for deciduous trees is easy to determine because they lose their leaves.Evergreens go dormant also.Use deciduous trees as indicators for the dormancy period for both types of trees.Irrigation should begin when deciduous trees start to bud up or leaf out in early spring.The most amount of water will be required mid to late summer when soil moisture has been reduced and air temperatures are at their highest.In mid to late fall the irrigation schedule can be tapered off back to a watering schedule that was used in early spring.Once fall leaf drop occurs discontinue watering until the next growing season.

Big Trees, Inc recommends that trees be irrigated with automated drip irrigation.This type of system can be as simple as a soaker hose attached to a battery operated watering timer.Drip irrigation uses the least amount of water with the highest efficiency.It evenly distributes water directly over the rootball of newly installed trees and it provides consistent moisture levels.

So how do you know if you have achieved the right irrigation frequency and timing?One simple method that gives good results requires some investigation:

• Use a trowel to dig down at the root zone approximately 4-6”.Pick up a small handful of soil and squeeze it tightly in the palm of your hand.If the soil has formed slightly to the shape of your palm after you have opened your fist, the soil moisture is ideal.If the soil easily crumbles and falls apart the moisture level is too low, and if you are able to squeeze water from the soil when it is in your fist the soil is too wet.All water should be absorbed within 6 hours, and no puddling should occur in the root zone.

Trees absorb both oxygen and water from the soil.Overly saturated soils have little available oxygen and soils that are too dry hold any moisture so tightly that it is unavailable to trees.It is a fine balance that requires continued monitoring and adjustments.

If you have any questions regarding the irrigation of your newly planted trees from Big Trees, Inc. please do not hesitate to contact us.

Screening trees are becoming more and more necessary as houses are getting closer and closer together. Let’s face it, we like our privacy and fences can only provide so much. This is where trees come into play. Our saying here at Big Trees is “Big Trees Make Great Neighbors.” Whether it’s a solid row of evergreens or a strategically placed deciduous tree, this article will help you determine what options are available and what choices are best for your particular situation.

Best Pick for Small Planting Spaces:

Emerald Green Arborvitae

One of the most popular trees for screening is the emerald green arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘emerald green’). The emerald green arborvitae and the pyramidalis are different varieties of the same genus and species of tree. The emerald green has become the more popular choice over the years because it maintains a nicer shape as it matures. However, the pyramidalis are still effective screening trees.

The emerald green is a dense evergreen that maintains its deep green color all year. Because of its columnar growth habit, and limited spread, the emerald green is a great selection for small planting spaces.

If planted correctly, emerald greens will form a low maintenance solid hedge. The dense and columnar growth habit of emerald greens means that they require little maintenance and no pruning. However, emeralds can easily be sheared back to limit their spread and the tops can be trimmed to create uniform heights. Emerald greens are often planted on two to three foot centers. This means that there will be two or three feet between each tree trunk. Selecting a wider spacing means that you save on cost but you will have to wait for the hedge to become solid.

Emerald greens mature to be 15-20’ tall by 3-4’ wide. They thrive in full sun and in moist but well drained soils. When planted in shady areas, emerald greens have a tendency to thin out and develop patchy brown spots. The one down side to the emerald green is that they are slow growing. On average they will grow about 6-8” annually. Attention to irrigation and proper fertilization can help promote growth.

Best Picks for larger Planting Spaces: Leyland Cypress and Excelsa Cedars

Both the leyland cypress and the excelsa cedars make excellent screening trees. They are fast growing trees that can be hedged or maintained at a smaller size if necessary. The leyland cypress can seem less than impressive initially but they get big and full fast. Once established the leyland cypress can grow 3’ per year and the excelsa cedars trail slightly at 2’ per year.

Leyland cypress mature to be 50’ tall by 20’ wide and the excelsa matures to be 40’ tall by 12’ wide. Both are often planted on five to twelve foot centers. Our Big Tree horticulturalists can help you determine the best spacing for your particular situation and your long term landscape goals.

The leyland cypress thrives in full sun whereas the excelsa cedar will thrive in full sun to shade. Other, larger evergreen tree option are; castlewellan cypress, virescens cedar, Douglas fir, western red cedar, pines and incense cedar.

Broadleaf Evergreens

Broadleaf evergreens are leafy trees that maintain their foliage year round. Our most popular types of broadleaf evergreen used for screening are the Portuguese and English laurels. Both mature to be close to 20’ tall by 15’ wide. They can grow one to two feet per year.

Deciduous Trees 

Deciduous trees, or trees that drop their leaves in fall, are often overlooked for screening purposes. We suggest them regularly here at Big Trees because they can give you coverage when you are outside in the summer and they let light into your house in the winter. Deciduous trees often are the right shape for screening, wide at the top narrow at the base unlike evergreens which are mostly cone shaped, wide at the base and narrow at the top. Deciduous trees give you coverage when you need it and where you need it and often when they are bare in the winter the branch structure alone can create a good visual block. Some deciduous trees are better screeners than others. Trees like the thundercloud plum or ornamental pears have dense branch structure and they leaf out early and they hold their leaves longer than other deciduous trees making them excellent screening trees.

We hope this helps you narrow down the search for the perfect screening tree. Please call or Email us if you have any questions. We can help you pick the best trees for your particular situation and budget.