09. Street Screen
Layers and rhythm with magnolias, cherry trees and azaleas.
The fourth privacy screen I planted was at the street.
Adding to an Existing Laurel
An existing mixed laurel hedge at the west edge of the property created the backbone of this screening plan. Then I wanted to add some legs — or maybe more like arms — that would extend the full length of the property along the street. The goal was to tie together many disparate elements into one coherent whole.
Two-fold solution
My solution was two-fold: on the street side I added street trees 35 feet on center and on the house side I enhanced the symmetry of the porch by creating an arcade of blooming trees. To fill in the gap between the linear shape of the hedge and the curved arcade of trees, I created an azalea border.
Plant Rhythm
The rhythm of trees and established boundaries creates a clear template that I will add to over the years. I am especially excited to fill in the mixed azalea border. On the street side I will fill up more of the gap between the hedge and the street pavement edge. I am looking for plants and trees that create seasonal interest along the full street front for the full year.
Bare Root
I tried something new with the trees in this area: bare root. I purchased the trees dormant in winter — the Sweet Bay Magnolias from Arbor Day Foundation and the Japanese Cherry Trees from Online Orchards. The cost benefit of using bare root trees were pretty big; bare root magnolia cost $17 each where as an equivalent potted plant would have been $100. So far, the cherry trees have started to bud out, not much movement on the magnolias, but I am hopeful.
Plant Details:
Mixed Laurel Hedge
Mature Height: trimmed to 6 Feet, maybe a little higher
Mature Width: 4 Feet
Types: English Laurel, Schip Laurel, Cherry Laurel Otto Luyken
Japanese Cherry Trees (JC) — Accolade Cherry Blossom Tree
Mature Height: 25 Feet
Mature Width: 25 Feet
Sun: full sun
Flower: translucent seashell shaped
Flower Season: early spring
Sweet Bay Magnolia (SBM)
Mature Height: 20 Feet
Mature Width: 20 Feet
Sun: full sun
Flower: white
Flower Season: late spring
Azaleas Mixed
Mature Height: 3 to 5 feet
Mature Width: 3 to 5 feet
Type: some transplanted, some new Encore Azaleas
See my post on the the Azalea Border for more details!
The trees and azaleas were just planted this spring, so everything still looks tiny. I will post growth progress pictures once the plants have had a few seasons to grow.
The next step is to trim the hedge in late spring and to keep adding azaleas to the border. I am hopeful for some blooms in both the cherry trees and magnolias in the next several weeks!