Oxfordshire Limited Edition – August 2019

98 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition|August 2019

Thespotlightisontreesatthisyear’sgardenshows.Maybeyouwillbeinspired

togrowtheseinyourownoutdoorspace,saysHannahStephenson

TREES ARE TRENDING

D

esignersatmajorgarden

showsarecertainly

notputtingtreesinthe

shadethisyear,sotake

inspirationfromthe

expertsandstyleyour

gardenwithsomeofthemostpopulartrees

andshrubstomakeitarealshowstopper.

Herearefiveofthefavourites,whichwere

usedinvariousshowgardensattheChelsea

FlowerShowandaretheonestowatchat

moreshowsthissummer...

1 .Betula(birch)

Thesilverbirch(Betulapendula)isa

completeshowstopper,withitsstrikingwhite

barkanddiamond-shapedleaveswhichturn

butteryellowinautumn.Itfeaturedinfive

showgardensatChelseathisyear,andcould

wellbeawinnerwithamateurgardenerstoo

asitgrowsinmostsoils,butissensitivetosalt

spray,soitwon’tthriveincoastalgardens.

Theyaretheultimatetreeforwinter

becauseoftheirbarkinshadesofwhite,

salmon,tanandcream.Theyarealsosuited

togardensofdifferentsizesastheyhavea

lightcanopyandoftenanarrowspread,and

lookwonderfulunderplantedwithwinter-

floweringheatherorwithbronze-leavedcarex.

Ifyouhaveadampareainthegarden,gofor

B.nigra,whichhaspinkishorangebarkand

softgreenleaves.

2 .Mespilusgermanica(medlar)

Anyonewhoisinterestedinheritagemayhave

agoatgrowingthemedlar,whichhasbeen

cultivatedinourgardensforcenturies.

FeaturedinseveralgardensatChelseathis

year,ithasanunusualumbrellashapewith

longleavesandproducessmallwhiteleaves

inearlysummerfollowedbyplum-sizedfruits

inwinter,whichlooklikeoutsizebrownrose

hipsandneedafrosttosoftenthemup.

Itgrowsto 6 x 8 m,likesadampsituationin

asunnyspotandthereisabonusinautumn

whentheleavesturntobeautifulshadesof

russetandgold.

3 .Crataegus(hawthorn)

Itmaybethorny,butthehawthornisalso

beautifulandwildlife-friendly,withitsnectar-

richflowersandnutritiousautumnhaws.

Oftenusedashedging–it’sagreatburglar-

deterrentthankstoitsvicious,spikythorns

• itwillalsothriveinthemostinhospitable
  conditionsandprovidesvaluableshelterand
  foodforwildlife.