One, two, tree
The new garden has several unprepossessing trees – a ragged yew that can be reclaimed by expert pruning over the next few years, the massive tamarisk I mentioned last week and a charmless bay tree. There is also an unidentified magnolia in the front garden, and a second, planted squarely in front of the new French windows in the kitchen, and as a consequence concealing most of the garden beyond.
A ceanothus has been planted in what might be a meandering bed intended to screen the sheds and greenhouse, but a lot of clearing and cutting back will be required before the outlines of the existing garden are revealed. I am in two minds about whether to keep the ceanothus, commonly known as Californian lilac. This is a genus of 50-60 species of shrubs or small trees, mostly hardy in the UK, but best planted in a sheltered position. Ceanothus can be evergreen or deciduous, and have blue, pink or white flowers in spring or late summer. My small tree is evergreen. It will be a blaze of colour for a week or two, but rather dull for the rest of the year.
One of the ways I routinely waste time on the internet when I should be doing something more pressing is to search for the perfect small tree. This was an idle indulgence in the context of my last garden, since I had run out of room for new plants, but will be a pleasurable necessity in the garden I have moved to. There will be space for several trees, as well as fruit trees, so here is a selection from my shortlist. At the top is the tree I’ve loved since I first saw it in flower many years ago. The Snowy Mespilus, Amelanchier lamarckii, can be grown as a shrub, but is best as a multi-stemmed small tree. It has starry white flowers on short, erect racemes, which open in early spring just as the bronze-tinged young foliage is also unfurling. The dusky purple berries are delicious and popular with blackbirds. The tree has magnificent autumn colour and its curvaceous stems provide interest in winter.
Number two on my wish list is Malus ‘Comtesse de Paris’, which has a densely branching, rounded habit and pretty white blossom followed by golden yellow crab apples, which stay longer on the branches than do those of ‘Golden Hornet’, lasting well into winter. Arbutus unedo is next, the Strawberry Tree, a native of South West Ireland and the Mediterranean. It is a small evergreen tree with shredding brown bark. Bellshaped, small white flowers and strawberry-like red fruit (liked by birds but distasteful to humans) are produced at the same time in autumn.
There are not many trees that flower in winter, so Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ is a must. It flowers on and off from November until March, is tolerant of soil conditions and aspect, and will grow in time to a spreading 20ft or so, its open branches casting only light shade. Hellebores, cyclamen and snowdrops will thrive underneath. It is not a rarity, but its flowers are unsurpassed against a blue sky and gladden the heart on a winter’s day.
Finally, as an antidote to all those white flowers, which I find irresistible, there is the spindle tree, Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’, a vigorous deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 3m. It has magnificent autumn colour and orange-pink winged seeds, which linger on the branches long after the leaves have fallen and are a striking sight in a winter border.
A Cornus mas would be lovely, and a rowan and a hawthorn... There are many more glorious trees fighting for a place on my list, but this is a good enough start.
For suppliers, visit the RHS Plant Finder: www.rhs.org.uk
A ceanothus has been planted in what might be a meandering bed intended to screen the sheds and greenhouse, but a lot of clearing and cutting back will be required before the outlines of the existing garden are revealed. I am in two minds about whether to keep the ceanothus, commonly known as Californian lilac. This is a genus of 50-60 species of shrubs or small trees, mostly hardy in the UK, but best planted in a sheltered position. Ceanothus can be evergreen or deciduous, and have blue, pink or white flowers in spring or late summer. My small tree is evergreen. It will be a blaze of colour for a week or two, but rather dull for the rest of the year.
One of the ways I routinely waste time on the internet when I should be doing something more pressing is to search for the perfect small tree. This was an idle indulgence in the context of my last garden, since I had run out of room for new plants, but will be a pleasurable necessity in the garden I have moved to. There will be space for several trees, as well as fruit trees, so here is a selection from my shortlist. At the top is the tree I’ve loved since I first saw it in flower many years ago. The Snowy Mespilus, Amelanchier lamarckii, can be grown as a shrub, but is best as a multi-stemmed small tree. It has starry white flowers on short, erect racemes, which open in early spring just as the bronze-tinged young foliage is also unfurling. The dusky purple berries are delicious and popular with blackbirds. The tree has magnificent autumn colour and its curvaceous stems provide interest in winter.
Number two on my wish list is Malus ‘Comtesse de Paris’, which has a densely branching, rounded habit and pretty white blossom followed by golden yellow crab apples, which stay longer on the branches than do those of ‘Golden Hornet’, lasting well into winter. Arbutus unedo is next, the Strawberry Tree, a native of South West Ireland and the Mediterranean. It is a small evergreen tree with shredding brown bark. Bellshaped, small white flowers and strawberry-like red fruit (liked by birds but distasteful to humans) are produced at the same time in autumn.
There are not many trees that flower in winter, so Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ is a must. It flowers on and off from November until March, is tolerant of soil conditions and aspect, and will grow in time to a spreading 20ft or so, its open branches casting only light shade. Hellebores, cyclamen and snowdrops will thrive underneath. It is not a rarity, but its flowers are unsurpassed against a blue sky and gladden the heart on a winter’s day.
Finally, as an antidote to all those white flowers, which I find irresistible, there is the spindle tree, Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’, a vigorous deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 3m. It has magnificent autumn colour and orange-pink winged seeds, which linger on the branches long after the leaves have fallen and are a striking sight in a winter border.
A Cornus mas would be lovely, and a rowan and a hawthorn... There are many more glorious trees fighting for a place on my list, but this is a good enough start.
For suppliers, visit the RHS Plant Finder: www.rhs.org.uk
How to protect plants this winter
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has good advice on getting to grips with winter. Chief Horticultural Advisor Guy Barter said: ‘We are lucky this year that the cold has come on gradually.’ This ‘leaves plants hardened and ready for severe conditions.’- Move tender plants to a place where they will be safe and sheltered.
- Keep greenhouse roofs and tree branches clear of snow – keep long poles and brushes ready for when they’re needed.
- Float large inflated balls on ponds, fountains and pumps to keep them from freezing over.
- Drain or insulate outdoor pipes and taps.
- When the ground is frozen is a good time to prune.
- Compost spent foliage and collect fallen leaves in sacks or bins.
- Don’t forget that many plants need to experience plenty of cold to release their leaf and flower buds to grow when the weather warms up in spring.