An Update on My Allée of London Planes and Smoke Bushes
I love allées and have planted several over the years - they look so beautiful and dramatic around my Bedford, New York farm.
In landscaping, an allée, or an avenue, is traditionally a straight path or road with a line of trees or large shrubs running along each side. In most cases, the trees planted are the same species or cultivar, so as to give a uniform appearance along the full length of the allée. In 2019, I decided to plant an allée of trees along the carriage road through the lower hayfields. We planted a selection of London plane trees and about 100 royal purple smoke bushes, Cotinus coggygria. It is now three years later and the allée is looking excellent.
Enjoy these photos.
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- At first, this area through the hayfields was just an open and plain space, where I grew hay for my horses. I thought it was a perfect stretch of landscape for a long allée. Designing any garden takes plenty of planning, time, and patience. Here, the area chosen was mowed and measured. The twine shows one edge of the bed.
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- I wanted the allée to extend the entire portion of the road that cuts through the lower hayfields. This would require a large number of stately trees. My outdoor grounds crew removed the sod from the area. All my carriage roads are 12-feet wide. I wanted to be sure the new allee lined the edge of the road, but also had enough room for the trees to grow.
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- I chose to plant two rows of London plane trees – 46-trees in all. When selecting a location, always consider the tree’s growth pattern, space needs, and appearance. London planes are easy to transplant. They can also develop massive trunks with spreading crowns, so they need lots of space.
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- In between the trees, I chose to plant Cotinus, also known as smoke bush or smoke tree – a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs. They are a great choice for massing or for hedges. There are two potted smoke bushes between each London plane. These specimens were all purchased as small whips – slender, unbranched shoots or plants. I like to nurture them for a year or two in pots before placing them in the ground – this way they are planted as bigger, stronger specimens.
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- This is what the allée looked like shortly after it was planted in 2019.
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- And as the saying goes in gardening, “first sleep, then creep, then leap.” This photo was taken last year. The trees are looking healthy and strong.
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- And this is the allée now. So lush and the bold colors of the specimens look amazing together.
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- These smoke bushes have stunning dark red-purple foliage that turns scarlet in autumn and has plume-like seed clusters, which appear after the flowers and give a long-lasting, smoky haze to the branch tips.
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- The leaves of smoke bushes are waxy purple and are one and a half to three inches long, and ovate in shape.
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- Smoke bushes are among my favorite small trees. These can grow to a moderate size – up to 15-feet tall and 10-feet wide. I also love its upright, multi-stemmed habit. I grow many smoke bushes at the farm.
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- Some of them are showing off their stunning plumes.
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- Looking closely, the flower plumes are purple-pink, tipped with creamy yellow at their peak.
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- Under optimal conditions, smoke bushes can add about 13 to 24 inches to its height each year.
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- The London plane tree, Platanus × acerifolia, is a deciduous tree. It is a cross between two sycamore species: Platanus occidentalis, the American sycamore, and Platanus orientalis, the Oriental plane. London planes grow best in full sun, but they also thrive in partial shade.
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- The leaf of a London plane is similar to that of a maple leaf – simple with alternate arrangements that have three to five lobes. These leathery leaves are about six to seven inches wide with roughly toothed edges.
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- Now, while the trees are young, the bark is medium gray and smooth. When mature, they will show a distinctive camouflage pattern created as patches of green or brown outer bark flake off to expose a more creamy inner bark.
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- All these London planes are staked to ensure they grow vertically and to keep them sturdy as they develop.
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- Yesterday, the entire allée was mulched with material made right here at the farm. When mulching, use a two to four inch layer and no more – too much could damage the trees and the root systems.
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- The large field is bordered on one side by a grove of weeping willow trees, Salix – graceful, refined, and easily recognized by its open crown of ground-sweeping branches. Willows grow especially well near water, and reach 30 to 40 feet tall. And look, the fields are growing lots of good, nutritious hay for my horses. This will be ready to bale at the end of the month.
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- I am so pleased with how well this allée is growing. – it will look more beautiful year after year. This allée will be a lovely addition to future garden tours.
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