There is a tree for every kind of garden

One of the questions you get asked a lot as a garden writer is to name the perfect garden tree. To which my answer – more of a constant refrain – is that there’s no such thing.

Its eventual size, rate of growth and the colour and shape of its foliage as well as its growth habit are just some of the things that need to be taken into account when choosing a tree for your garden. Others are the different seasons of interest that it might provide, its suitability for the growing conditions that your garden can offer including soil type, aspect, shelter and air pollution. So is its proximity to nearby buildings. All of this aside, does it need, for example, to screen an ugly view, or provide food for you or for garden wildlife? A yes or no to each of these questions will have a bearing on the most suitable species or variety.

No single kind is perfect, but there are a few that come close, earning themselves the status of gardening classics. Among them is Prunus serrula, a deciduous tree prized not only for its spring display of flowers and colourful autumnal foliage, but for its glossy, mahogany-coloured bark, so that even in the depths of winter, it still retains a special charm. Tolerant of most soil types, and with a moderate growth rate, it will reach an eventual maximum height of 9m. Chinese dogwood or Cornus kousa var. chinensis, whose delightful, early summer flowers are followed by a colourful display of autumnal foliage and decorative fruits is another excellent choice. Fully hardy and happy in full sun or light shade, it does best in a sheltered garden and an acid to neutral , well-drained fertile soil, reaching a height and spread of 3m to 5m x 7m.

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The ornamental fruits of Malus ‘Scarlett’, a good choice for a small garden. Photograph: Richard Johnston

The slow-growing paperback maple, or Acer griseum, (10m x 7m) has also earned its stripes as a classic small garden tree by virtue of its cinnamon-coloured, peeling bark and its autumnal leaf colour. So has Amelanchier lamarckii (7m x 4m) , a slow-growing, deciduous species with several seasons of interest including its pretty, pollinator-friendly spring blossoms and excellent autumn leaf colour.

Amelanchier arborea ‘Robin Hill’ is more compact again, achieving a height of just 3m to 6m. This is a tree that you can plant in close proximity to a building without it compromising the foundations, as is the slow growing, evergreen bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) and the somewhat ubiquitous Photinia ‘Red Robin’. Yet another evergreen tree suitable for a small garden is the native strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo, whose dainty, scented, bell-shaped pale flowers appear in summer followed by clusters of scarlet fruits.

It’s one of many trees suitable for a small garden with ornamental, wildlife friendly flowers and/or autumn fruit. Others include the many different varieties of rowan (Sorbus), cultivated hawthorns (Crataegus) and ornamental crab  (Malus); all hardy, deciduous small-ish trees tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions. In a larger garden, Tetradium daniellii is a good pollinator-friendly choice, For something with edible fruits, consider apple trees, or the mespil (Mespilus germanica). A deciduous tree with brilliant autumn leaf colour? Go for Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ , Acer ‘Osakazuki’ or Cercidiphyllum japonicum . A small tree with ornamental autumn seedheads? Try the fast-growing Euonymus planipes.

But maybe you want a deciduous tree to punctuate a formal avenue in a medium to large garden? Then you can’t go wrong with Carpinus betulus ‘Frans Fontaine”, whose neat, vertical growth habit means that it acts like a kind of arboreal exclamation mark. One for a boggy, large garden? How about Alder (Alnus), Salix, or river birch (Betula nigra)? An evergreen tree to effectively screen an ugly view in a medium to large, mild garden?  Try the Chilean myrtle (Luma apiculata,), Magnolia grandiflora, Eucalypus pauciflora ssp. niphophila. or the fast-growing lacebark tree (Hoheria sextylosa).

See what I mean about there being no such thing as the one perfect garden tree . . . There is, however, the perfect way to plant one. Late October/ November heralds the beginning of the bare root/ root ball season- an excellent time of the year to plant trees as they’re now in their dormant period. Just make sure to plant into a wide, weed-free and well-dug hole that’s only a little deeper than the root ball, making sure not to add too much compost as this can have the effect of creating a sort of sump that collects winter rain. In heavy or poorly drained soil, spread a little pebble or even hardcore at its base to help with drainage and plant onto a gentle mound so that the tree is slightly above ground level. Finally, after planting, make sure to keep it weed free and well watered during dry periods to encourage good root establishment. The result will be a glorious garden tree, if not the perfect one.

This week in the garden

Late October/ November is an excellent time to plant young trees. Along with most good garden centres, the following specialist nurseries are great hunting grounds for the more unusual kinds; Altamont Plant Sales, Altamont Walled Garden, Co Carlow; Mount Venus Nursery, Mutton Lane, Dublin 16, see mountvenus.com: Flannery’s Nursery, Naas, Co Kildare, see flannerysnurseries.ie; Van Der Wel’s/Cappagh Nurseries, Aughrim, Co Wicklow, see vanderwel.ie

Don’t forget to include a few of the ornamental alliums among the spring-flowering bulbs that can be planted out this month. Along with the classic Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ and the white-flowering ‘Everest’, both of which flower in late May/early June, look out for  the statuesque, exceptionally long-flowering ‘Globemaster’ (above right, height 80-100cm), which blooms throughout June and into July. Daintier types include the elegant Allium cernuum (height 40cm) and the August-flowering Allium sphaerocephalon (75cm). All of these alliums are reliably perennial and enjoy a fertile, moist but free-draining soil in full sun. Available as bulbs now from most good garden centres.

Dates for your diary

Today, Saturday, October 22nd, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Decorated pumpkin competition and exhibition and “Fantastic Food”,  a themed guided walk of the gardens at harvest time, which will cover the history of food cultivation throughout the ages (the latter take place at 3pm, admission €5). See botanicgardens.ie

Tuesday, October 25th (8pm), Foxrock Parish Pastoral Centre, 18 Kill Lane, Dublin 18, “Our Garden at Compton Nash”, a talk by  English plantsman Tim Ingram on behalf of Foxrock Garden Club. All welcome. See foxrockgardenclub.com