Tree site selection...where to plant?

Hey folks,

First time poster. I'm a fairly novice gardener looking to get advice on what I consider to be an important landscaping decision. I bought a home a few months ago (one story ranch style, or what we call in Canada a bungalow). I am currently re-landscaping it (slowly and methodically!) since it was left somewhat unkempt - lots of shrubs grown wild, spruce trees planted in poor locations, etc...

So I want to plant a red oak at the front of the lot, which is south facing, where there is currently two scrubby looking colorado spruce trees. They are on the left side of the lot. Then there is a crimson maple on the right side of the lot, which is actually a nice looking tree. It's about 25 years old, so decent in size. Once I take down the spruce trees, I want to place the oak somewhere in that large void. By the way, the front lot is about 70 feet long (not including the driveway) and about 45 feet deep. So it is not a massive space.

I was thinking about also planting a tricolor beech in the same area. Am I over planting with the oak idea and the current maple? I suppose some pictures would help, which I can submit.

Thought? Thanks very much in advance.

Well, lets see the pics, but in the mean time, here are a few thoughts:

1) If the house is symmetrical, then the planting may be symmetrical by using the same species, same spacing, a mirror image on each side of a dividing line like a driveway or walkway. It does not have to be symmetrical.

2) If the house is not symmetrical, then the planting should not be symmetrical. Going with one tree on one side and 2 on the other is certainly asymmetrical.

3) If you want to use the asymmetrical concept, then the trees should not be in a straight line, either. Try to lay them out in a triangle with each side a different length.
The easiest way to do this is to draw the property on a piece of paper and cut out some circles that are about 50% of the mature size of the trees. Start shuffling them around. Remember the trees will grow even bigger. Ask yourself:
Is it OK if the tree overhangs...
the street? (will roots tear up the street?)
the house? (Do you want shade on that side?)
the walkway or driveway?
the lawn (if any. Dense shade is not good for a lawn. Won't grow well)

4) Take a few stakes or anything (garden furniture... ) out there and place it where the paper seemed to show a good location. Use a tape measure to see just where the outer edges of the tree will be.
Is there room to get out of the car? (don't plant the tree too close to the driveway).
Go into the house and look out the windows. Do you like what you are seeing? Imagine the tree growing up in that area. Will it block a view? (good if it is something you do not want to see, bad if it is a nice view).

All great advice from Diana as always, To mark out any large areas, either for beds, making circles, wavey lines, new beds etc, I always use the garden hose as when you want to move it, it just waves it's way across the ground when tugged, if you make a circle, when happy with position and size, you can always use garden canes to mark out the circle using the hose as guidance, then as Diana said, go back indoors to look outside to check the right place or not, the garden canes lift the size up and maybe give better idea of the tree canopy.
make sure the trees you select is planted where roots cant crack any water pipes, any underground cables etc, and go by the knowledge that whatever the final canopy size of a tree will be, the roots will spread out to the same dimensions, so this gives an idea of space your tree will require, and plant it that measurement out from any structure like house, road, side-walk etc, or you could end up with a real headache. I think all gardens deserve at least one tree, it grows with the owner and family, BUT you have to also be sensible about tree's too.
Good luck, let us know what you select,

best of luck and Kindest Regards.
WeeNel.