native trees and more trees?!

Have been looking at various native trees and have decided on a crab apple, rowan, hazel, wild cherry and a blackthorn. I emailed National Trust but they won't do a specific pack for me which is fine, was told I could buy a whip separate.. again fine.

But noticed the size is 20/40 cms. As you probably know, I'm a little impatient and thought these would be too small, (but read somewhere smaller trees would be establish easier) so had a look about and found what I want from best4hedging.co.uk and the plants are around 90/120 cm and a little bit cheaper. (Yes i'm a skinflint but also feel bad for not buying from the Trust)

I have also gone and bought another cherry tree, stella and a bramley apple in the meant time.. (damn you, asda!). Bare in mind, I also have a conference pear, james grieve and 2 v v small golden delicious in pots and one morrello already in the ground atm. Plan is put the trees in the border I've made and maybe 3 on the other side.. I'd like them to grow and block neighbours/street view.

So before I buy them 5 trees I first mentioned..
Questions.

Do I have too many trees for my space!!? Think most of you have seen my shatty back garden.

Would you go for more expensive, smaller trees OR larger, cheaper trees?

Anyone used best4hedging ( on avg pretty good reviews from feefo) or national trust for trees? If so, what was your experience?

Also experiences of growing these types of tree in a smallish or any garden? Am I out of my depth? Will I regret it in 5 years time..?

It's tough tits about the trees I've already bought.. they need to go in!

 

Linz, why not see what your local garden centre has to offer?

 

It's not a brilliant nursery to be honest, in the respects to the range of plants but I do love it for helping people with disabilities with work. Nearest tidy one is Caerphilly, on website they only have a rowan for me. Plus I hate driving lol

 

Pants at taking photo's so apologies for the pics and shoddy diagram think it faces NNE if that's a factor, patio is only shaded by 2/3rds in spring/summer



Green line to the right is boundary to next door, we are level(ish), lime green is the border so far, the orange circles are trees, L-R cherry, willow and camellia and the grey at the back left is a concrete rectangle
Hope this clears it up a bit haha! To the left, the neighbours are 2 ft lower than me we have a single brick wall underneath the fence so might be a problem with roots?

back corner where the camellia is and the house I'd like to hide from, already got a pot of bamboo to shoot up to hide the side window

I should say where that slide is I did plan to put a tree as I curved the border out and just behind the slide is a fuchsia that grows like a hedge slap bang in the middle of the fence!

 

Personally, I would go for smaller trees. Not only do they seem to establish better, they dont need staking like larger specimens. They will also catch up to larger ones very quickly.

One thing that I would suggest. As you have bought a rowan, why not add a yew and elder to the list? Those three together are a powerful trinity.

 

Thanks for the input Sandy, I was a bit worried I'd be waiting 3/4 years for bit of privacy with smaller ones, might be asking a bit too much for instant privacy.. I don't want them to fail.

I did think of an Elder actually but thought I'd limit on the trees as my space isn't very big.. I'm easily swayed though and I could make some cordial

Yew's grow huge don't they? Bit worried about the Hazel too.

 

Yews respond well to trimming/topiary, so they can be kept in check. Rowans can get big as well as the hazel. For the latter, check out Corylus avellana 'contorta' if you have not got one yet. Its the one known as Corkscrew Hazel.

 

I've noticed! Its been in about 4/5 years and it's really taken off in the last 2.. I had to trim quite a bit off this year. Was planning a willow den with it but my cuttings have failed

Haven't bought them yet, been very good and was waiting for a response on here I remember Shiney and M were swaying me with a contorta many threads ago.. think it would be great to have something different/unusual so will have a look for one of those instead. Thanks again both

 

@shiney that's a gorgeous old willow. I need to stick some willow branches in the dirt so I can have a willow thicket.....thanks for reminding me!

 

Many Sorbus don't grow that quickly. They are by far my most favourite species of trees having great habit, lovely shaped leaves loads of different coloured berries depending on type (some more favoured by birds than others!) and again depending on variety you get spectacular "fireworks" at the end of the season. I have planted maybe 100 Sorbus (Rowans) over the years in different gardens. They are much cheaper and often take better if bought bare rooted. Not had a death yet.
Photos and like you @Linz not the best with the box brownie, are of a couple of mine that I happen to have photos of. The one with the large white "moth balls" berries is Cashmeriana. This tree I bought as quite a large (for the variety) specimen 14 years ago. It is still less than 5 ft tall and never likely to be very big. Delicate fern like foliage and pretty pink blossom, doesn't colour in Autumn.2nd photo is of Sorbus Sargentiana. This tree is about 8 years old. Bought as big as I could get. This variety grows considerably bigger but not in comparison to many of our native trees. It has a great habit with the branches going upwards rather than out which makes mowing round them if necessary much easier. Has great big dark red sticky buds over winter. Produces massive bunches of bright orange berries, in the Autumn goes a spectacular colour.

 

Aw wow @silu ! I'm in love with both, haven't come across any white berry varieties to buy yet, will have a lil gander later on and I do prefer the orange berries to red.. wonderful leaves on your 2nd one too! It's the shape of the leaves I'm drawn too funnily enough. I was actually thinking of getting a larger Rowan/Sorbus than what I said earlier..about 150/200 cm as I read they do take a while to grow so thanks for your input on that too. Really appreciated