what Tree

Hello WOO, I looked up tree peonies in my RHS book, they grow to about 5 -6 feet, ones mentioned are P x lemoinei 'Argosy' and 'Artemis' both are frost hardy. Hope this helps.

 

I have seen Tree Peonies at the Ventnor Botantical Gardens (IoW), lovely! It's very warm and sunny there ... so much so they have a colony of geckos, the only known ones outside of mainland Europe.

Other than the Prunus family, how about a Sorbus (Mountain Ash)? They have them here so I know they like the sun.

 

Tree peonies grow well in Perth, as I've seen them at a National Trust garden there, Branklyn Garden - and they self-seed VERY well! http://www.branklyngarden.org.uk/

They're not partcularly attractive in winter, though......

How about the willow-leaved pear? Pyrus salicifolia? Maybe a little big, but you could keep it in check, I'm sure....

http://images.google.com/images?q=%E2%80%8Ewillow%20leaved%20pear&hl=en-GB&sourceid=gd&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2006-49,GGLD:en-GB&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

 

Trouble with trees is they tend to grow, and not very many will stay at your required height for that long.
I know a lot of people dont like them these days (gone out of fashion) but conifers are good for growing very slowly, if you chose the right ones.
I have an irish yew thats taken 20yrs to reach 8ft its the yellow leaved version (aurea), but there are lots that grow in all colours and all shapes.

BTW a tree peony is really a shrub not a tree and they tend only to look good when in flower, which is for a week or two in spring.

 

What about an Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Ballerina', white flowers in spring, good autumn foliage colour and red to purple berries. Dont think it gets too big but can be pruned if it does.
See http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantselector/resultslist.aspx?SearchesID=830792

 

Hey, woo, would have been nice if you told us what you had in the first place, so we didn't suggest similar ... :eek: :eek:

 

Apologies accepted, woo, ... hoot, hoot.

You'd love it here .. we have lots of the screech owls all around us!

PS Would love to get a pic of one but it's difficult .. did have one sitting in the road in front of us recently .. but did I have the camera???

 

How about Sorbus Joseph Rock, for all season colour. Whilst it will grow tallish - its light and airy and the autumn colour is lovely. The orange berries last for ages.

But for a smaller one - how about magnolia stellata

 

Sorbus cashmeriana, various crab apples, Abutilon vitifolium (poss bit tall but short lived and fast growing), Aralia thingummywhatsit, Pseudopanax spp, Cordyline australis, or how about an herbacous monster like Miscanthus floridulus.

For my money the Abutilon wins, but if you want lower screening then the Miscanthus is a stonker.

 

I'd go for the thingummywhatsit if I was you, woo! :eek:

 

I've got a Aralia thingummywhatsit and whilst fine during summer, is nothing more than a thorny stick in winter.

 

WOL can always coppice it and get a fine view of his new shed till the big new leaves emerge