The Right Place To Plant A Tree

TREES WITH AUTUMN-TO-WINTER FRUIT

STRANVAESIA

Although it is often grown as a large evergreen shrub, this can be trained con a single stem to form a small tree. White flowers are produced in early summer, and the clusters of bright red berries that appear in autumn last all through the winter months.

 ROWAN sorbus forrestii

Each leaf of this small, rounded tree is composed of numerous leaflets — blue-green in color. Flattened heads of white flowers are carried in late spring, and the large bunches of small white berries that emerge in the autumn persist all through winter.

KASHMIR ROWAN

Erect when young, this openly branched tree has divided leaves that become gold or russet in autumn. Blush-pink flowers open in early summer, and the clusters of marble-sized white berries decorate the branches from autumn onwards.

ROWAN sorbus ‘joseph Rock

One of the most popular of all rowans, 'Joseph Rock' has the characteristic vase-shaped crown that spreads with age. Its rich green, regularly divided leaves color brilliantly in autumn, when the yellow berries, carried in drooping bunches, ripen.

JAPANESE ROWAN

This is a handsome rowan with ascending, eventually spreading, branches. It has white flowers in spring, and regularly divided leaves that color richly in autumn. Large bunches of red berries are borne from autumn onwards. 'Embley' is a superb cultivar.

ROWAN sorbus scalaris

The glossy green leaves of this wide-spreading tree grow in neat rosettes, and turn red and purple in autumn. Flattened white flower heads appear in late spring, and its large, densely packed bunches of red berries persist from autumn into winter.

Garden Plants And Flowers

Trees for Alkaline Soils

TREE-DRAINING, and warming faster than most other soils in spring, alkaline soils suit a wide range of ornamental trees, some of them very popular and reliable flowering trees. Many hail from regions enjoying warm summers and so appreciate sun and warmth to help ripen their wood and promote flowering.

JUDAS TREE

Occasionally multi-stemmed, this more often single-stemmed, spreading tree has heart-shaped blue-green leaves. Rosy lilac pea-flowers emerge in spring and are followed by flattened red seed pods. Bodnant' is a form with deep purple flowers.

ORIENTAL THORN

This slow-growing ornamental thorn tree will eventually develop a dense, rounded crown clothed in deeply lobed, dark green leaves. Clusters of pretty white blossoms emerge in late spring, and its large, downy red fruits are produced in autumn.

PINK SIRIS, SILK TREE

As a young tree, Pink Sins is more broad than tall, with spreading branches and finely divided, fern-like leaves. Its clusters of fluffy, pink-stamened flowers are produced in late summer and autumn. A. julibrissin 'Rosea' is a more hardy selection.

Select The Right Outdoor And Indoor Plant

Conifers for Heavy Clay Soil

ALARGE NUMBER OF CONIFERS will grow in heavy clay soil, providing it is not always waterlogged. They encompass an extremely wide selection of sizes and shapes, and have foliage of great variety, both in color and texture. These are hardy, easy to grow, and evergreen unless specified deciduous.

DAWN REDWOOD

 The feathery leaves of this magnificent deciduous conifer turn tawny pink in autumn. An ancient and vigorous tree, it is narrowly conical to columnar.

MOUNTAIN PINE

This dwarf mountain pine in time forms a compact mound of dark green needles. Ideal for a large rock garden, or a big pot, but it is slow-growing.

MACEDONIAN PINE

Worth growing where space is available, this impressive pine has densely crowded grey-green needles and pendent, curved and cylindrical, resin-flecked cones.

WEYMOUTH PINE

A well-known conical pine, this broadens with age. Open branches bear slender grey-green needles and pendulous cones. Will not tolerate air pollution.

Elegans Compacta'

This is a dense, billowy, bushy form of the Japanese Red Cedar. The fresh green foliage is soft to touch, and turns a rich reddish bronze color in winter.

BOSNIAN PINE

A handsome tree of dense, conical habit, this pine broadens as it ages. Its special features include rich green needles, white hairy buds, and cobalt-blue cones.  

    

 

The Surest Way To Select The Right Outdoor And Indoor Plants

SHRUBS WITH PURPLE, RED, OR BRONZE LEAVES

HEBE Hebe 'Amy'

The glossy, dark coppery purple leaves of this small, rounded evergreen shrub turn green in time. Rich violet-purple flowers are borne in short spikes in summer.

PITTOSPORUM

The dark shoots of this dome-shaped dwarf evergreen shrub are crowded with shining, crinkly-edged leaves of a deep reddish purple. These emerge green. 

PURPLE‘LEAVED SAND CHERRY

The Purple-leaf Sand Cherry is a small, erect shrub with glossy leaves, red at first, maturing to deep reddish purple. Small blush-white flowers appear in spring.

PURPLE-LEAVED SLOE

This is a dense, bushy shrub or small tree, with spiny branches and bright red leaves, that change to a deep reddish purple. Small, pale pink flowers open in spring.

PURPLE-LEAVED PLUM

In spring, snow-white blossom procedes the leaves, which emerge green and then turn bronze-purple with cream or pink variegation. Bushy form of the cherry plum.

PURPLE-LEAVED ELDER

The deeply divided leaves of this vigorous shrub are green at fast, maturing to dark purple, then red in autumn. Its budded summer flowers open white. 

Basic Information About Shrub Gardening

SHRUBS TOLERANT OF SHADE

LACE-CAP HYDRANGEA

The pointed leaves of this dense, bushy shrub often color well in autumn. Violet- blue, lace-cap flowers in summer have pale marginal florets. Dislikes dry soils. 

SHRUBBY HONEYSUCKLE

Its low and wide-spreading habit makes this an excellent evergreen ground cover. Tiny, inconspicuous late spring flowers are occasionally followed by violet berries.

CASCADES MAHONIA

This evergreen, suckering shrub produces short, erect stems with handsome leaves - that turn red or purplish in winter. Spikes of yellow flowers appear in early summer.

JAPANESE SPURGE

This evergreen, suckering shrublet likes moist soils, and makes a superb ground cover for shade. Its dark green leaves back little white flower spikes in spring.     

        

CHERRY LAUREL

The branches of this low evergreen shrub are clothed with narrow, glossy, leathery leaves. Erect spikes of white flowers in late spring are followed by black fruits. 

SKIMMIA

If you plant a male variety of this dense, low evergreen nearby to effect pollination, this spring-flowering skimmia cultivar will produce an abundance of white berries.

VARIEGATED LARGE PERIWINKLE

Striking, variegated leaves are margined creamy white, and form a superb ground cover that is rampant if unchecked. Blue flowers last from spring to autumn. 

Useful Shrubs Gardening Information

MEDIUM-SIZED SHRUBS

TREE PEONY

Cup-shaped, dark crimson flowers, each with a leafy bract beneath it, are borne on long stalks in early summer, above bold, deeply cut, bright green leaves.

MOCK ORANGE

Striking, white-margined leaves are the main attraction of this dense, bushy shrub. Its richly fragrant flower clusters, in late spring and early summer, are a bonus.

PIERIS

This compact evergreen shrub has narrow, leathery leaves, which are bronze when young. Drooping tassels of white flowers appear in late winter and early spring.

VIBURNUM

Elegant, spreading, layered branches carry neat, pleated leaves and, in early summer, lace-cap flower heads that are white when they emerge, and mature to pink.

'Onondaga' Viburnum sargentii

The maple-like foliage of this vigorous shrub are bronze when young, and color richly in autumn. Its beautiful spring lace- cap flowers are white, but pink in bud.

`Superba' Syringa pubescens subsp. microphylla

Slender-stemmed and spreading, with pointed leaves, this lilac produces fragrant pink flower heads, darker in bud, from late spring right through to early autumn. 

Trees And Shrubs Gardening Information

CLIMBERS FOR SUNLESS WALLS AND FENCES

IVY

The evergreen leaves of this very popular, variegated common ivy cultivar are green and grey-green with broad, creamy white margins. It is self-clinging.

CHILEAN BELLFLOWER

Strongly twining stems support leathery evergreen leaves and, from summer into late autumn, beautiful, pendulous, tubular flowers with fleshy petals.

JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE

Evergreen or semi-evergreen, this prolific, twining climber produces loose clusters of fragrant flowers, emerging white and aging to yellow, from summer into autumn. 

SCHIZOPHRAGMA           

In time, this slow-growing, self-clinging climber will reach great heights. Flattened heads of creamy white flowers appear in • summer, among pointed green leaves.

GOLDEN HOP

A strong-growing herbaceous climber, this has hairy, twining stems and boldly lobed yellow-green leaves. Clusters of green fruits (hops) are produced in autumn. 

IVY

This is a distinct cultivar of common ivy in which the bright evergreen leaves, with pale veins, are deeply lobed and pointed. Self-clinging, it is ideal for low walls.