Ornamental trees can be useful in many ways. Apart from their attractive flowers, foliage, bark, berries or fruits, they are great for providing shelter, and privacy, as well as adding substance to a planting scheme. you do need to be careful in choosing your trees, as there are many familiar native and parkland trees that would grow too large for most gardens, blocking the sun and creating tension with your neighbours. Thankfully , most trees sold at the garden centre are varieties that have been bred to stay at a reasonable size. In this leaflet, we will show you how to use trees and make some recommendations for different situations.
Screening. One of the biggest reasons for buying trees is for creating a screen between your garden and another’s. This can be because your garden is overlooked by a nearby house or other building, and you want more or maybe you want to hide the view – of a neighbour’s ugly shed or similar. Either way, something that is fast growing and evergreen is usually most suitable here, such as Eucalyptus or Leyland Cypress. Just remember that trees and conifers do need pruning regularly when they get to the required height.
Shelter. If your property borders on to farmland, it may well be quite exposed to the wind and driving rain, which can make the garden an unpleasant place to be. The secret is to slow down the wind and not stop it. If you have sufficient space to plant a row of trees, try planting Mountain Ash (Sorbus), Acer ‘Crimson King’, hedging conifers such as Thuja plicata, or large shrubs like Laurel or Griselinia
Patio/front garden trees. There are a small number of trees that are suitable for top-grafting at different heights, meaning that you can get a 1 or 2 metre tree that will not grow much higher. They are great for large patio containers, front gardens, or anywhere you want a dwarf tree. Try Salix caprea (Pussy Willow) or Salix Flamingo. Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are very slow growing, spreading trees that are also great for pots.
Flowering trees. Trees that have spring flowers come in many varieties. Flowering cherries and plums (Prunus) are the most popular, choose from the upright, pink double flowered ‘Kanzan’, weeping pink flowered ‘Kiku Shidare Sakura’, the pencil-like ‘Amanogawa’, which has pale pink flowers and is great for a small space, or cerasifera ‘Nigra’, with its maroon leaves and pink flowers. Laburnum is well-known for its Wisteria-like flowers of golden yellow that hang gracefully from the branches in late spring. All flowering crab apples have attractive spring flowers too.
Trees with ornamental fruit. Crab apples (Malus) have both spring flowers and small, ornamental apples in autumn. Try ‘Evereste’, which has pure white flowers from red buds and orange fruit, or ‘Butterball’, with its pink flushed flowers and bright yellow fruit. Mountain Ash (Sorbus), has clusters of red berries in autumn.
Trees with autumn leaf colour. While all deciduous trees will change colour in autumn, the most flamboyant reddish tints come from the Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua). Flowering Cherries also have impressive autumn leaf tints.
When you have chosen your tree, you will also need to pick up a 1.5m, 2.5cm thick wooden stake, a tree tie and a bag of Rose, Tree and Shrub compost. If you need any advice on planting, choosing or looking after trees, then please talk to one of our plant experts at your local Cherry Lane garden centre.
