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Trees and Other Plants
January / June interest
One of the nicest gifts you can give for
a birth, wedding or other anniversary is a tree or shrub that will flower
or "do its thing" at the time of the event each year. |
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For an unusual way to celebrate a special
event - wedding,
birth, anniversary etc. or even as a memorial, little really beats a tree or
shrub planted especially for the event.
To go one step further, choose a plant that does
its "thing" at the time of the event. Here's a list of suggested trees,
shrubs and climbers that should be looking their best (or the best in the garden at that time in
the case of the winter months) for each of the months of the year. Those
suggested are chosen also because they are reasonably undemanding and grow to a
reasonable size for the average or small garden. Many fine larger trees are
available of course, but I am deliberately confining myself to smaller specimens
here.
Please bear in mind that the given months are approximate and
vary a little between different parts of the country and from year to year
depending on the climatic conditions.
This is one of the occasions where it may be an advantage to
go plant shopping in precisely the month you want the plant for, so that you can
see what it's doing.
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If you only have room for a single tree, fruit trees are an
excellent choice for shape, size, blossom and fruit. more
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T
- Tree C - Climber
S
- Shrub
Winter interest.
Bark or evergreen foliage
Most prominent mainly from around November
when the leaves fall off until March when they start growing again.
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Acer capillipes - snake bark maple.
T
 Deciduous
tree grown for the winter colour of the bark which is green with white
or pale marking that snake up the trunk and the branches. Red winter
shoots which add to the decorative effect. Suitable for most situations.
Spreading habit to 30ft by 20ft eventually.
Buy Acer / snake bark maple
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Acer griseum - paper bark maple.
T
 Slow
growing spreading tree with red-brown to orange bark that flakes off
in paper thin sheets giving an attractive shaggy effect especially during
the winter months. Bright autumn foliage colour too. Suitable for most
situations. Spreading habit to 30ft by 20ft eventually.
Buy Acer / paper bark maple
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Birches - Betula spp.
T
 The
birches are admirable trees for small gardens, some types can grow tall
(eventually to 50ft or more), but they tend not to spread very far and
have an open canopy that gives a dappled shade, a lovely effect. They
need an open sunny situation.
The native silver birch
Betula pendula is a popular choice, but the bark is rather rough
and splits with dark patches forming with age, go for named cultivars
such as "Dalicarlica" / "Laciniata" or "tristis" if you
can find them. I prefer the Himalayan birch, Betula utilis "jacquemontii"
(usually sold as Betula jacquemontii) or the paper birch,
Betula papyrifera. Both have a smoother, brighter bark than the
native species and are fairly easy to find.
If you have more space,
birches can be planted as a triangular group of 3 about 3 feet apart.
You tend to get a similar sized canopy as if a single tree was on its
own, but 3 times the trunks and bark which is the main feature.
Buy Betula / Birch
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Corylus avellana "contorta" - corkscrew hazel.
T
 A
variety of the native hazel tree with strongly twisted shoots that are
particularly effective in winter and frequently seen in flower arrangements.
To 20ft by 20ft.
Buy Corylus / corkscrew hazel
or try here
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Ilex aquifolium "Ferox argentea" - hedgehog holly.
T/S
 An
unusual variegated holly - green leaves edged with cream - that has
spines on the surface of the leaves as well as around the edges. Slow
growing, colours best in a sunny position. Eventually gets to 25ft high
by 12ft wide, but easily trimmed to less.
Buy hedgehog holly
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Prunus serrula.
T (sometimes
also called P. tibetica).
Deciduous tree with peeling mahogany coloured bark that extends along
all branches and shines like it's just been polished. Flowers in the
spring as a bonus and the leaves turn yellow in autumn before falling
off. One of the best trees for winter bark colour. Grows to 30ft high
and wide.
Buy Prunus serrula / tibetica
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January
Little active growth. Features that are most prominent at this time of year are evergreens, and plants
grown for their bark colouration.
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Chaenomeles - Ornamental or Japanese quince. S
 Masses of
beautiful red to pale pink flowers depending on variety borne on bare stems when
much of the rest of the garden is still dormant. Benefit from being grown up
against a wall or fence where they can be kept in control easily and cover a
large boring area. Unfussy about location, grow a Clematis or Nasturtiums through them in the summer months. 6 to 10ft high and wide, easily trimmed.
Buy
Chaenomeles
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Hamamelis - witch hazel.
S/T
 Large deciduous shrub with fragrant frost-resistant spidery flowers in winter
that are yellow or shades of orange depending on variety. Produces brilliant
golden yellow autumn foliage as well, which looks good if underplanted with
purple autumn crocuses, Colchicum speciosum (only available in late
summer and need to planted immediately). Best in full sun, not
keen on an exposed site. To 12ft high and wide, 5ft high and wide for Hamamelis
x intermedia pallida.
Buy
Hamamelis / witch hazel |
Hamamelis
Arnold Promise
| Hamamelis
Jelena
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February
Little active growth.
Features that are most prominent at this time of year are evergreens, and plants
grown for their bark colouration.
winter interest
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Salix caprea "Kilmarnock" - Kilmarnock willow. T
 A
small weeping willow tree that grows no higher than the graft union, usually at
around 5 or 6ft and then falls down from this spreading the same amount. Covered
in decorative catkins in February and much safer than the other drain-cracking
giants of the Genus.
1/2 standard Kilmarnock willow
full standard Kilmarnock willow
or try here
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March
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Spring Flowering Cherries T
   Ornamental cherries
are unfussy about soil, but prefer a sunny position. To 30ft by 30ft eventually.
Buy
Prunus / ornamental cherry |
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Prunus dulcis - common almond. T
Grown in this country for its spring
blossom of large white or pink flowers each about 2" (5cm) across. To 25ft
x 25ft.
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Viburnum
x burkwoodii. S
 Evergreen hardy and resilient shrub that produces domed
heads about 3-4" across of small tubular fragrant white flowers, to 8ft x
8ft. "Anne Russell" is a named variety that is more compact at
about 5ft x 5ft and deciduous. Unfussy about position.
Buy
Viburnum burkwoodii
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April
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Amelanchier lamarckii
- Shadbush. S/ T
 Large shrub or small tree. Deciduous, leaves open bronze
against which there are masses of small white star shaped flowers. The leaves
turn darker green as the season progresses ending in an autumn show of fiery
reds and oranges. To 30ft x 30ft but easily kept in check and frequently seen in
small gardens. Unfussy about position.
Buy
Amelanchier lamarckii
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Malus various - Crab-apples.
T
 These can be planted for
spring or autumn interest as they have spring blossom that rivals ornamental
cherries followed ornamental fruit later in the year. Whether you see this fruit
as an advantage or disadvantage depends on your perspective, but I think they
are one of the best small trees available for any garden. The flowers are
usually single and large and frequently beautifully scented.
Buy
Malus / crab apples
Recommended; "Golden Hornet", "John Downie",
"Red Jade", "Evereste", Malus x robusta "Red Sentinel". To 30ft x 30ft, they don't cast
a deep shade and so can easily be underplanted. M. toringo ssp. sargentii
is another excellent variety that only grows 12ft tall, spring blossom and then
cherry-like scarlet fruits in the autumn.
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Prunus
various. - Ornamental cherries. T
Masses of blossom in spring and some
have good autumn colour too. If only planting one tree, I'd go for a Malus
(crabapple) instead, but there are those who see the lack of autumn fruit an
advantage of the ornamental cherry. Tend to be a bit hardier than Malus -
the crab-apples, but
rather short lived, 20 or 30 years.
Recommended; "Pandora", shell pink
flowers, "snowgoose" and "umineko",
white flowers. P. sargentii
Buy
Prunus / ornamental cherry
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May
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Crataegus oxycantha - "Paul's scarlet". T
A cultivated
variety of hawthorn with masses of double scarlet flowers in May. Spiky like all
hawthorns, but an excellently shaped small specimen tree if you don't think the
flowers are a bit too much, a wonderful sight in full flower nevertheless. To about 20ft by 15ft.
Buy
Crateagus Paul's Scarlet
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Prunus
"Tai haku" - Great white cherry. T
A magnificent variety of
ornamental cherry and easily the best for my money (yes I am biased). Covered in
single white flowers up to 2" across that somehow always appear to catch
the light and glow whichever direction the light is really coming from, flowers
in the early part of the month. Spreading habit, to 25ft x 25ft.
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Sorbus
aria "Lutescens" - Whitebeam. T
 This is a really beautiful
understated deciduous tree. The new leaves are what make it special, they open a
wonderful lime green on top with a silvery-white underside. There are white
flowers too, but these pale in impact besides the leaves. The leaves get darker
as the season progresses, but are always paler beneath so the tree seems to
shimmer when the wind catches it. Unfussy about soil, better in sun, to 30ft x
25ft.
Buy
Sorbus aria
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 Syringa
- Lilac
  Strictly
speaking perhaps really a shrub and not actually a tree, but sufficiently
tree-like for these purposes,
grows to about 20ft by 20ft if allowed free-rein, but vigorous and
responsive to hard renovative pruning. One of the most wonderfully fragrant
plants in the garden. Flowers from May to June depending on position. The
main thing to be aware of is that lilacs flower on wood that is at least a year
old, so if you prune hard then there is likely to be at least one flower-free
year. Comes in a range of
colours from white through pinks and blues to darker purple, with a pale yellow
and of course the original lilac colour - to my mind the only one to have. Most
garden cultivars are varieties of Syringa vulgaris. Many available equally good,
these recommended; "Katherine Havermayer" - lilac,
"Charles
Joly" - dark purple, "Mme. Lemoine" - white.
Buy
Syringia / Lilac to buy |
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Wisteria. C
 These are the most magnificent of temperate climbing plants and a
"must have" as far as I'm concerned in any garden. A deciduous climber
that flowers spectacularly in May on a gnarled and twisted framework of old
branches before the leaves come out fully. Long pendant racemes of fragrant
pea-like flowers in shades of blue to blue-purple ( white varieties are also
available though I tend to think beg the question - "why?"). Can be
grown as a (widely spreading) standard rather than up a wall if given a
strong upright support during its early years.
Buy Wisteria | Buy
Wisteria 2
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June
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Laburnum vossii. T
 A well known and fairly common small tree grown
for its large clusters of golden yellow flowers up to 40cm long. Lives up to
about 30 years and grows to 20ft tall and 15ft wide. A good shape for a small
garden, mainly upright and all above head height once grown up. The seeds in the
pods (it is a relative of peas and beans) are highly poisonous and can be fatal
if swallowed in any quantity. Sometimes known as false ebony on account of it's
very hard wood.
Buy
Laburnum
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Philadelphus - Mock Orange S
A deciduous shrub that produces
masses of fragrant white flowers. Fully hardy and may be grown as a specimen or
in a shrub or even woodland border. Recommended "Virginal"
double flowers and particularly fragrant. To 10ft tall by 8ft wide, but easily
trimmed and fairly quick to recover.
Buy
Philadelphus / mock orange
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Roses, various varieties. S
 Roses can be very
long-lived and in recent years, varieties have been named with an eye on the
"celebration purchase" hence we have "Wedding Day",
"Silver Wedding", "Golden Wedding" and others, there are
also other varieties that have peoples names that might be appropriate,
particularly girls names "Grace", "Meg" and "Penelope"
are ones that come to mind (it's probably not worth the effort of looking for a
"Malcolm" or "Arthur" though - however there is a "Sexy
Rexy" if this is appropriate). If planting as a celebration then I
suggest one of the larger species roses, bush or climber, rather than a hybrid
tea as they are more resilient and need less looking after. Roses of course
frequently flower through the summer or at least again in September, so could be
used for a celebration through to September.
Buy
Roses | Buy
Roses 2
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Next page, July - Dec and winter interest
Special plants.
There's a chance that in
your garden, you will have a "special plant". It won't be the most
beautiful plant you have it won't be the most admired or
"hardworking" in terms of always looking good at a particular time of
year. It will be a plant that has a particular memory for you.
Probably my most satisfying moment as a gardener
came when I was planting up a new garden for a couple who had recently moved
into a new property. Amongst the mess and mud was a small rather battered lilac
bush, grabbed at the last moment from the previous house and plonked in a hole
in the new garden, apparently neglected but fretted about by the non-gardening
owners. It turned out to be "Granddad's Lilac", bought by the father of
the lady of the house for the youngest child on her birth. Granddad didn't live
much longer after this and his lilac hurriedly rescued, looked to be going the
same way.
I had no idea of any of this, but after planting
loads of brought in plants, I saw this forlorn, but perfectly sturdy and viable
specimen. I planted it in what I thought was the best position by what turned
out
to be another of Granddad's last projects, a play house for the same granddaughter.
I was completely taken aback by the tears and gratitude when they saw what I had
done, the lilac thrived
and now shelters the play house and provides loads of fragrant flowers every
year.
The wonderful thing about plants is that they can
be propagated from cuttings. We have a rose bush grown from a cutting of my late
mother-in-laws favourite rose from the house where my wife grew up as a
child. The next time I go to Nottingham I intend to knock on the door of the
house where my grandparents lived when I was a child and ask for a cutting or
two from the old hydrangea that my granddad used to love, and that I had the
highly responsible task of pruning and deadheading every year.
Some plants help to keep memories
alive, and by
the fact that they flower and grow as vigorously now as they do in our memories
when the person we connect them with was with us and looking at the plant, they
open the door to happy memories more so than an inanimate object ever could.
One of the nicest gifts you can give for
a birth, wedding or other annual anniversary is a tree or shrub that will flower
or "do its thing" at the time of the event each year.
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