Planting trees in your garden.
Every garden, no matter how small, can benefit from having a tree that provides structure, interest and a haven for wildlife.
Don’t be scared of planting trees in your garden. They’re not all going to grow out of control and take over. Planting a tree in your garden can really enhance your outdoor space, life and home.
Small trees are a great addition to any landscape and can be used to great affect, they can be useful from a design perspective, giving balance and structure to your garden. For example, plant a Salix caprea pendula (Kilmarnock Weeping Willow), with its bright yellow catkins in the spring, which the bees just love, and elegantly weeping branches adorned in bright green leaves through the summer..
Trees can mask concrete walls, fences and unsightly views. They muffle sound from nearby streets or neighbours and they create eye-soothing canopy of green. Trees absorb dust and wind and reduce glare. Sorbus aria Lutescens (Mountain Ash) with its silvery white young leaves and grey/green mature rounded leaves turning to russet & gold in the autumn is particularly good at absorbing pollution with its downy foliage.
Small trees with airy foliage such as Japanese Maples can add a little privacy in overlooked gardens whilst still letting light in. Compact, columnar Conifers can provide denser screening yet take up little space. Small evergreen trees like Ceanothus ‘Trewithen Blue’ (California Lilac) with her small glossy green leaves and blue spring/summer flowers, provide year round foliage in the garden to break up a fence line or obscure an unwanted view for you.
Trees provide shade and give a sculptural element to a garden and add a sense of maturity. They can provide a cool spot to relax in. On a very warm day, there’s nothing better than having a shady tree to sit underneath. Trees act as natural air-conditioners, they are surprisingly effective at cooling the air. Trees improve air quality, they absorb CO2 and release oxygen. So, the air close to them is generally cleaner. Prunus ‘Pissardii’ (Flowering Cherry) with her dark purple leaves and soft pink spring flowers makes for a delightful tree to plant in the garden.
Several studies have shown that trees are calming and that looking at trees has the effect of reducing stress levels. Plant a tree in your garden in a spot that is visible from inside your home so you can simply look out of the window to receive their calming effect. Plant it as a focal point in your garden, where you can enjoy it from your chosen outdoor seated area.
Trees provide a great habitat, which will encourage more wildlife into your garden, choose trees with fruits or berries to attract insects, mammals & birds. Trees provide perches, nesting sites, safe retreats, blossom & shading.
Malus ‘Profusion’ (Crab Apple) has deep purple wine flowers in spring and similar coloured fruit in autumn. Cotoneaster ‘Exburiensis’ produces wonderful yellow berries in the Autumn.
Autumn colour in your garden will often come from the deciduous trees and shrubs as their leaves begin to turn from green to reds/oranges/coppers and purples.
Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ (Mountain Ash) has fantastic autumn leaves of yellow, orange, scarlet and copper, which contrast beautifully with their yellow autumn berries. Prunus ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ not only has beautiful yellow/orange leaves in autumn but also comes into blossom with its pale pink flowers adding to the autumn colour.
Autumn is a great time to plant trees, giving them ample time to establish a good root system for strong branches and lush foliage in the following growing season. Planting trees in spring gives the tree plenty of time to actively grow through the summer, soon after planting leaves will be produced and so food can be made. Regular watering through the first summer will be required to help the tree settle in.
