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trees

Bill MansfieldBill Mansfield Posts: 45
in Garden design

Hi all,

I have a hawthorn tree in my front garden. The tree is very spindly and bare. The leaves are full of dark spots and while it flowers (pink) quite profusely, there are very few berry on it. Also it is leaning further and further over invading my neighbours "airspace".

So I have decided to remove it. I would like to plant another tree. But which one?? My garden is 10 x 10 m and is a corner plot and very low and open.. There are 2 lawns, divided 1/3 and 2/3 by a path. The hawthorn is in the 1/3. I have a joseph rock (sorbus) in the 2/3 part. 

I have seen some nice trees locally in a reputable nursery

malus golden gem

malus toringo scarlet

prunus serrula

I also like cotoneaster cornubia, but the ones I've seen full grown are big, very thick crowned and block light.

My main focus is wildlife, but as I'm a corner I feel it has to look good too.

The other option is to plant pear or apple...

what do you think?

Thanks,

Bill

Posts

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 36,836

    Hi Bill. If it doesn't have to be a fruit tree necessarily have a think about a birch tree. Their wispy foliage does not heavily shade a garden and if you go for the Himalayan Birch (Betula utilis jacquemontii) you will eventually get those stunning white trunks. They are also good for wildlife.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • lelliplopslelliplops Posts: 1

    I agree with Tetley.  Amelanchier Lamarckii is a lovely large shrub/small tree with an open, airy habit.  Prune it in the early years to encourage a main trunk.  The young leaves are tinged bronze, then white flowers early in the season are followed by small purply-black berries which the blackbirds devour greedily.  In the autumn, the leaves turn red and orange so it really is a tree for all seasons and won't cast too much shade.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,055

    We're growing an amelanchier as a multi-stemmed tree - we bought it this way especially as this way it makes a soft and elegant  screen for the small garden shed - It's about 8ft tall at the moment and very beautiful. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,901

    Amelanchier or the slightly smaller but equally hard working Euonymous europaea, Spindle tree (winged spindle).

  • KT53KT53 Posts: 8,462

    One that appeals to me, and I'm probably going to get for our back garden, is the Snakeskin Maple Acer capillipes)

  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    Hi my favourite for your space would be a Rowan "Joseph Rock"

    lovely in all seasons and a nice size, I love ours more each year. The berries pink turning to dark red, followed by amazing autumn colour 

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 8,462
    Lily Pilly says:

    Hi my favourite for your space would be a Rowan "Joseph Rock"

    See original post

     They already have that if I read the OP correctly.  I was going to suggest something similar.

  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    Oops sorry didn't read back properly!

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
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