Some Favourite Trees for the Garden
One plant guaranteed to give your garden depth and character is a specimen tree.
We all admire the majestic presence of the oak or sweeping branches of the beech, but not many of us have room to accommodate such large trees.
However, there are many beautiful and easy to grow specimen trees suitable for even the smallest garden which will provide a focal point and all year round interest.
Here are just a few of my favourites.
Trees for blossom We all look forward to the start of spring and a sure way of knowing it's on its way is when the blossom begins to appear on the trees.
One tree that has many cultivars and is easy to grow in any garden is the prunus.
Prunus is a genus of both deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs that includes plums, cherries, peaches and plums.
Flowering cherries make great ornamental trees, providing a burst of spring colour followed by dappled green foliage in summer.
Prunus sargenti is a small compact flowering cherry growing from between 1.
5 to 3m in height.
It is low maintenance and has delicate dark pink flowers in spring.
Prunus serrula or Tibetan cherry is another small cherry with snowy white blossom in spring.
It also has the most wonderful copper coloured bark providing winter interest as well.
Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai' has a height and spread of around 8ft.
In early spring light red buds appear, followed by pale pink flowers with red centres.
Leaves turn a vibrant orange red in autumn.
Trees for autumn colour Any of the Acer family will not disappoint for autumn colour.
One of my favourites is Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' whose leaves turn a brilliant orange-red in autumn.
Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer' has a narrow upright form which has lovely pear blossom in spring and whose foliage provides a riot of colour in autumn.
Parottia persica or Persian ironwood has crimson to gold leaves in autumn followed by small flowers in winter.
Some varieties also have peeling bark.
Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' has lovely heart-shaped red leaves that turn red orange and yellow in autumn.
Trees for winter interest When the garden looks at its most sparse, any plants which provides interest either in shape, flowers or colour is a welcome sight.
Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis' is covered in delicate white blossom from November to March and also has bronze-green spring foliage and reliable orange and yellow autumn leaf colour.
The Amelanchi er or Snowy mespilus genus is an amazing collection of trees and shrubs which provide all year round interest.
In winter its multi-stemmed habit provides stunning architectural interest.
This is followed in spring and summer by flowers and red or orange berries in autumn.
It is hard to beat the common silver birch for its almost silvery coloured bark in winter.
Corylus avellana 'Contorta'or twisted hazel also probably looks at its best when it is bare of leaves in winter and shows off its twisted shaped branches to best effect.
Trees for a small garden Even if you only have a small garden, there is no reason why you cannot have a tree as a focal point.
Some can even be grown as specimens in garden planters.
Here are a few stunners.
Acer griseum or Paperbark maple is famous for its peeling bark as its name suggest.
It grows to about 20ft but weeping forms are generally smaller.
Sorbus commixta or Japanese rowen has attractive pinnate leaves, white or pink flowers followed by red or pink berries in autumn.
The leaves also turn bright red or orange in autumn.
Some apple trees also come in small packages these days.
Malus domestica 'Spartan' grows to a height of about 4.
5m and is covered in beautiful apples with a dark red skin even Snow White would find irresistible! Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku' or Coral bark Japanese maple grows to a height of around 6m and in autumn the whole tree turns a creamy yellow.
Finally a particular favourite is Arbtus unedo or Strawberry tree.
A slightly misleading name, as although the fruit is edible they are not at all like strawberries.
This tree has the advantage of being evergreen, with white flowers during autumn followed by its bizarre fruit which begin as yellow knobbly berries that ripen to a bright red.
We all admire the majestic presence of the oak or sweeping branches of the beech, but not many of us have room to accommodate such large trees.
However, there are many beautiful and easy to grow specimen trees suitable for even the smallest garden which will provide a focal point and all year round interest.
Here are just a few of my favourites.
Trees for blossom We all look forward to the start of spring and a sure way of knowing it's on its way is when the blossom begins to appear on the trees.
One tree that has many cultivars and is easy to grow in any garden is the prunus.
Prunus is a genus of both deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs that includes plums, cherries, peaches and plums.
Flowering cherries make great ornamental trees, providing a burst of spring colour followed by dappled green foliage in summer.
Prunus sargenti is a small compact flowering cherry growing from between 1.
5 to 3m in height.
It is low maintenance and has delicate dark pink flowers in spring.
Prunus serrula or Tibetan cherry is another small cherry with snowy white blossom in spring.
It also has the most wonderful copper coloured bark providing winter interest as well.
Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai' has a height and spread of around 8ft.
In early spring light red buds appear, followed by pale pink flowers with red centres.
Leaves turn a vibrant orange red in autumn.
Trees for autumn colour Any of the Acer family will not disappoint for autumn colour.
One of my favourites is Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' whose leaves turn a brilliant orange-red in autumn.
Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer' has a narrow upright form which has lovely pear blossom in spring and whose foliage provides a riot of colour in autumn.
Parottia persica or Persian ironwood has crimson to gold leaves in autumn followed by small flowers in winter.
Some varieties also have peeling bark.
Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' has lovely heart-shaped red leaves that turn red orange and yellow in autumn.
Trees for winter interest When the garden looks at its most sparse, any plants which provides interest either in shape, flowers or colour is a welcome sight.
Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis' is covered in delicate white blossom from November to March and also has bronze-green spring foliage and reliable orange and yellow autumn leaf colour.
The Amelanchi er or Snowy mespilus genus is an amazing collection of trees and shrubs which provide all year round interest.
In winter its multi-stemmed habit provides stunning architectural interest.
This is followed in spring and summer by flowers and red or orange berries in autumn.
It is hard to beat the common silver birch for its almost silvery coloured bark in winter.
Corylus avellana 'Contorta'or twisted hazel also probably looks at its best when it is bare of leaves in winter and shows off its twisted shaped branches to best effect.
Trees for a small garden Even if you only have a small garden, there is no reason why you cannot have a tree as a focal point.
Some can even be grown as specimens in garden planters.
Here are a few stunners.
Acer griseum or Paperbark maple is famous for its peeling bark as its name suggest.
It grows to about 20ft but weeping forms are generally smaller.
Sorbus commixta or Japanese rowen has attractive pinnate leaves, white or pink flowers followed by red or pink berries in autumn.
The leaves also turn bright red or orange in autumn.
Some apple trees also come in small packages these days.
Malus domestica 'Spartan' grows to a height of about 4.
5m and is covered in beautiful apples with a dark red skin even Snow White would find irresistible! Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku' or Coral bark Japanese maple grows to a height of around 6m and in autumn the whole tree turns a creamy yellow.
Finally a particular favourite is Arbtus unedo or Strawberry tree.
A slightly misleading name, as although the fruit is edible they are not at all like strawberries.
This tree has the advantage of being evergreen, with white flowers during autumn followed by its bizarre fruit which begin as yellow knobbly berries that ripen to a bright red.
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