# Need help with ideas around my tree



## nathan99218 (Jul 18, 2018)

So I need some help with some landscaping ideas around our tree. as you can tell from the pictures we have a poorly installed retaining wall around our maple tree. We moved into this house a year ago and I hate the way it looks. I moved the weird small bed they added and stacked them on top of the rest of the wall. I do know that it is way too small of a bed around the tree because of the ball on top of the soil. I wish I could get rid of the tree but I cant afford it and it has really invasive roots. We have to poor RootX down our drain once a year because there are roots in our sewer line. Any one have some ideas? The only thing I could really think is move the retaining wall out and filling it with some dirt....


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## Visitor (Jul 23, 2018)

Is the retaining wall really necessary? Doesn't seem like it is doing much. Perhaps remove all of the edging and do a trenched edge that you maintain with your edger/string trimmer/blade?


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

Yowza, that is a root mass, man!

We're it me, I'd overload that interior space with an evergreen, low maintenance, hardy, low growing, flowering ground cover that will habit in an "orderly" fashion so as to ever so gently "spill" over the edges of those uppermost stones and be done with it.

Vinca minor comes to mind and is one of my favorites (will / should not "climb up" the tree) but, if you Google "hardy evergreen ground covers" you'll get some other great ideas.

My d-I-l is waiting for review of her app. to her HOA for approval to remove a maple planted by a long gone townhome builder that isn't even 1/4 the size of that one in OP's photos and the HOA is dragging their feet to the point I'd advised her to stop calling and start emailing and thereby create a paper trail of their lack of response. 30 days of that will be up right around my next visit and that is when that sucker is coming down. (Past experience has shown clear evidence as to lack of response by mgmt leaves them with NO basis for "prosecuting" removal of nuisance trees, by residents whose requests for approvals were ignored.)


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## Jconnelly6b (Mar 4, 2018)

You could fill the bed with creeping phlox. It turns a little brown in the winter, but keeps its leaves and then in spring brings a beautiful display of total flower coverage.


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## nathan99218 (Jul 18, 2018)

Thanks for the ideas guys! Tomorrow if its not raining here I am taking the blocks out just to see what it could look like but i'm afraid the root mass is way to high up and might look really weird. I'll share some photos of it. haha. If it looks bad i'm going to make the wall bigger in diameter around the tree so it looks better and put some cover in there like the vinca minor and the creeping phlox. I really appreciate the help!


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## jabopy (Nov 24, 2018)

You could lower the soil, expose and clean the root mass to form a feature!! Put succulent plants in the pockets between roots. Was the tree there before the house?


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## nathan99218 (Jul 18, 2018)

@jabopy thats a really good idea! I'm not sure if the tree was here before the house. all the trees on my block are all planted in the same spot so i'm sure it was planted the same time the house was built in the 60's. It's raining today so I'm going to pull the wall tomorrow. I will keep you guys updated. Thanks!


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## nathan99218 (Jul 18, 2018)

Today my cousin and I pulled all of the pavers and the small retaining wall. This is what I have to work with. I'm not going put back a wall. We went to our local nursery and found some plants that might do well as ground cover. The only thing I thing I think I'm going to have a hard time is keeping the dirt in the bed not on the concrete driveway and sidewalk. So I might get some some edging around that.


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## OhDeere (Apr 12, 2019)

I like the creeping phlox idea that @Jconnelly6b suggested. I think it would be a nice low-maintenance pop of color that will enhance your lawn.


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## Visitor (Jul 23, 2018)

Looks good, I think once your ground cover is established the edging will be less necessary.


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## nathan99218 (Jul 18, 2018)

Well I got some ground cover down I ended up using Creeping Phlox, Creeping Sedum, Woodworm and some other blue creeping thing I cant remember the name of. haha! Man was this tough to put the plants in some spots you might notice that they are not set evenly thats because of the root mass... I cant add mulch to it because I don't think it will stay on the mass so i'm not sure what to put there to prevent weeds and prevent erosion. also it was hard to slope it in spots because its so close to the side walk.


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## Jconnelly6b (Mar 4, 2018)

Looks good! I think you will be happy.

Make sure to keep them well watered in the first year, especially since that big ole tree is going to drink up as much water as it can when it gets hot and dry.


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