Disguising a Not-so-pretty Utility Pole
City utility poles are a necessity, but they are NOT pretty. Although we are lucky enough to not have wires on the front of our property and city block, we do have them in the rear. We planted this tree in front of the utility pole situated pretty much in the center of property lot adjacent to our home. It's a maple, and we keep it trimmed tightly so we can avoid the utility company's hired tree massacres when overgrowth interferes with safety.
View from the alley, behind the fence. Tree lines up with the utility pole.
View from inside the yard....utility wires are still visible, but the pole is camouflaged.
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This is somewhat after the fact, but there are many cultivars of deciduous trees with good fall color that have a fastigiate, or upright, habit. For example, Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Purple’ is a beech that rarely gets wider than 12 feet even at maturity.
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@Douglas Hunt good info to have - thanks. I'll have to check out its hardiness in our zone 7a. I'm really concerned about the growth rate - esp. what's going on underground. And I've gotten pretty good about learning to let go of what doesn't work, esp. after losing 3 birch trees. I learned a lot about gardening in the last 10 yrs, and took the MG class AFTER installing my landscape. Best lesson of all, esp. for those casual gardeners - rely on your own instincts for what you like/don't like, and a trust landscape designer, but always verify tags and do your research on plants BEFORE you agree and install!
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If you're considering this 'disguise', my advice would be similar... but lear 15-20 feet between trunk and pole.
A local business recently planted a line of trees UNDER the power / telephone lines... And they're the TELEPHONE COMPANY! Soon, the trees will need a butchering pruning! They're directly under the wires.
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Why didn't you plant it inside the brick wall, in your own yard? Looks like you had the room.