Topic: Tree suggestions

[honeybee]

I have a newly found space in the corner of my smallish garden.

I am thinking of planting a tree there, something with not too thick a trunk, i want something that grows fairly tall to encourage as many birds as possible.....and maybe a bit of colour, but thats not a neccesity.

I was considering a blossom tree, ive already got a girl thingy willow, any suggestions would be more than welcome.

[philcooper]

I have a crab apple that is covered in blossom at this time of year and produces loads of fruit for the birds in the winter. It doesn't need polination.

Phil

[honeybee]

 :o..... girl thingy willow  :o  :o

I didnt type that :o  :o  :o
 
O.k i was saying that i already have a P. Willow.....hope that makes sense.


Thanks for the suggestion Phil  :)

[ACE]

How about a quince tree, makes lovely jelly. I will have a pot if my idea is the best.

[honeybee]

Oh thats lovely heritage, thanks for posting pic  :)

[Tulipa]

I went to the nurseries yesterday and their crab apple trees looked beautiful. 

I need 4 trees to screen a new building going up at the back of us and am thinking of a crab apple, a pink hawthorn, and acer and a rowan.  Don't know if this is any help. 

Have had to talk my husband out of planting a horse chestnut! 

I think the crab apple flowers first and the hawthorn will follow, they are beautiful when they flower.  The acer I will have a variegated one for long interest and autumn colour and the rowan for the colourful fruit and different leaves.

We are not planting until the autumn so this may change but this is the plan at the moment,  They are all trees that can have bare trunks with the screening at the top.

Apart from the acer the RSPB lists the others as all encouraging birds into the garden.

[honeybee]

Thanks Tulippa

We are planning a visit this weekend, to a garden centre that ive not been to before so i am going to go armed with the advice here and see what they have available, thanks all  :)

[Tulipa]

Have fun and let us know what you decide.  Happy tree hunting!

[honeybee]

Thanks T, I am really looking forward to it now that i have some ideas  :)

[wardy]

I had a tiny garden and planted a flowering cherry Tai Haku.  Very beautiful.  I also planted an amelenchier l.  which does something all the year round.  It has black berries, autumn foliage and white flowers in the summer and is small and easy to look after  :)

[Muddy_Boots]

Honeybee,

Just another thought.  The graceful and easy to control silver birch.  It has beautiful bark all the year round, looks dainty and delicate all year, makes the most wonderful sound in a breeze and, provided you top it, will not grow too high so that it doesn't dominate.  Only disadvantage I have come across is that it sheds bits of branches during winter months - just a matter of picking them up.  Mean twiglets really because their branches are so delicate.  More like deadheadings from an herbacious plant.

What a lovely idea.  Everyone who has enough space should be able to have a little tree!   :D

[wardy]

Quite a few of the acers are small but lovely.  I like the one with the peeling bark - griseum but that's not one of the smaller ones though - pity  :)

I had an acer which was top grafted onto a trunk and it remained small - it was brilliantissimum and the leaves turn pink.  That never got too big

[georgiesgirl]

 Could i make a suggestion for the Prunus Serrula.Blossom is'nt brilliant but is made up by it's fantastic bark, which is mahogany-coloured and looks highly polished.The paper thin bark peels in narrow strips round the trunk to reveal yet more highly polished young bark.It looks good all year round.
Has been my best buy for the garden.
Anne

[honeybee]

Thank you GG, that sounds interesting.

I had a good look round at the garden centre but most of the trees available were very well established and too big to get home in the car, something that i had not thought of  ::)

So i will look elsewhere and maybe have a look online too.

Thanks again everyone

[aquilegia]

If you want to attract birds, then you're best bet is to go for a native (they attract more insects, which in turn attract more birds).

Some of my favourites are Mountain Ash (gorgeous leaves and lovely orange berries) and silver birch.

[tango]

Does your local council offer free trees?  Ours does and I got a lovely crab apple tree a few years back.  I looks great for a couple of weeks, covered in blossom but unfortunately so is my car parked underneath.  The apples go a wonderful red and the birds love them,  had half a dozen waxwings helping themselves to fruit year before last.

 :)

[Merry Tiller]

Japanese cherry or Lilac for me

[Roy Bham UK]

:o That is gorgeous  :o I want one 8)

[Merry Tiller]

When the blossom drops it looks like the garden is covered with pink snow

[Tulipa]

I don't want to cut my grass at the moment, it looks beautiful with all the blossom on it!