Trees add so much character to a garden. The abundant varieties of trees and shrubs available means even the smallest of gardens can enjoy the pleasures trees add to any plot.
However, research is key to finding the best trees for your garden, the varieties best suited for your garden space and soil, plus the amount of sunlight the garden receives. Consider the height a tree will reach as it matures and how this will affect the rest of the garden and any nearby buildings. Think about what you want from the tree, as perhaps you may want it for the beauty of its flowering colours or perhaps the fruit it will bear.
There are numerous varieties of small trees suitable for planting directly in to smaller gardens or within containers. Japanese maples can provide a stunning array of colours to any small garden, colours which can change with the season. Examples include the acer palmatum dissectum ‘Ever Red’ tree which is a weeping variety, offering a crimson burgundy foliage in the spring before turning a shade of bronze in the autumn. The acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ is a taller variety, reaching around 4 metres in height, with purple foliage through the summer turning crimson red in Autumn.
Rowans are good options for encouraging wildlife in to your garden with their autumnal berries. They are deciduous with a choice of varieties depending on the colour of foliage you prefer. The common mountain ash is native to the UK and develops bundles of bright orange-red berries in the autumn which the birds will love, while the white flowers of spring and summer will attract pollinating bees. Bird cherry is another variety of tree suited to smaller gardens, with its bitter cherries loved by birds such as the blackbird and the song thrush.
Heading out in to the garden to pick fruit is always a treat and small gardens need not miss out. Dwarf varieties of pear and peach trees such as the pear ‘Conference’ and the peach ‘Avalon Pride’ can be ideal for small gardens, as can small crab apple trees such as the crab apple ‘Jelly King’. The dwarf tree cherry ‘Sunburst’ crops earlier than other common varieties and is suitable for growing in containers. Whether it is fruit trees you would love to grow or trees for pure visual appreciation, the size of a garden should not be a limitation.
