a plant/ tree that flowers around April

[whenskiesaregrey]

I sadly had a miscarriage last year, and my due date was the middle of April. DH and I would like to buy something for the garden that is quite robust, and flowers around the time the baby would have been due. We have a south facing garden, but it is quite clayish (made up word!). We were thinking of planting along the back fence, as that is quite bare, but this US because it is in shade a lot of the time, and the ground can get quite boggy in winter.

Is there anything that will work?? TIA :)

Really sorry for your loss

How about a flowering cherry like this apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1539 or this apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=5318

Those look nice, thank you :) I'm a bit concerned about how big they may get though... 8 metres tall seems pretty huge to me! Do they have mini versions?

Magnolia stellata.
I have one outside my window here and it is coming into full blossom now. It grows in part shade in clay soil (although I dug lots of well rotted manure in before planting).

It is beautiful, the flowers are scented too, and I feel so lucky to have the blossom this early in the year.

It is now around 4ft tall after 5 years and can reach double that, so not too big. Anyway you can reach it to prune it if it seems to be getting too big, but I doubt it.

www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl=EN&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=610&q=magnolia+stellata&gbv=2&oq=magnolia+stellata&aq=f&aqi=g8&aql=&gs_l=img.3..0l8.2012l2012l0l2960l1l1l0l0l0l0l135l135l0j1l1l0.llsin.

That sounds perfect, thank you :)

Our apple tree is about to come into flower, and you get fruit too!

Sorry for your loss, that's a lovely idea to plant a tree. I second the magnolia one of the reasons I fell in love with our house was because it had one in the front garden. My parents who have both passed away had one in their garden. Ours is in full bloom now and every morning when I open the curtains it makes me smile. They really are the most beautiful trees.

If you wanted something a bit smaller, a Dicentra would be lovely. They are also called 'bleeding heart'. Your soil sounds same as ours and they grow well. I've wanted one for ages.
And what a lovely idea.

I echo Magnolias, they are beautiful, Although I am also partial to Cameilias which are just coming out.

Sorry for your loss and what a beautiful idea.

helitrope we already have an apple tree unfortunately, otherwise we probably would have gone for one of those.

Magnolia one sounds like a good one, will keep an eye out for the other suggestions too. Thank you.

Dwarf Japanese cherry?

That looks nice also Myleene

40notTrendy just googled the Dicentra. Pretty obvious why it's call 'bleeding heart'!

The dicentra is beautiful, but not totally hardy, we have lost one in each of the last two winters (one has survived) and we're in the South. They are just starting to come out now.

So sorry for your loss

I would heartily second the Magnolia Stellata recs, but would just put in a note of caution - whereabouts are you in UK? I am in increasingly balmy/droughty SE and the mags are in full flower now, and could be s bit droppy by mid month. If you are further North tho, I think it would be perfect.

Thanks for that WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes. I know these things are never an exact science, but I would be quite sad if the tree/ plant did die on us, just because of it's meaning.

charitygirl I am in the NW, so should be okay. Although if it did flower a bit earlier, it wouldn't be the worst thing, as it would still be a nice reminder.

I posted on the run earlier, but have been thinking about this thread. We planted a cherry tree after a miscarriage about 10 years go, it wasn't deliberately planned to be a reminder (we had to chop down an old tree and wanted a replacement), but we did say at the time that it was a nice thing to remember that baby by, it flowers in a few weeks time which coincides with when the baby was lost. I'm not sure what variety it is but it has grown from about 2m to about 4m in that time. I don't think about that baby so often now, time has healed, but I have been thinking fondly about them tonight.

I'm sorry you've had to go through the same WhenSkies but I hope whatever you choose will be a fitting reminder of your baby..

DH is a bit concerned that the 'skill level' quoted on the BBC website for the Magnolias is 'experienced' and we are both novices in the extreme! Are they difficult to look after?

Thank you for your post WhoKnows I'm sorry that you too have had a miscarriage. We thought a tree would be a nice way just to show that the baby will be a part of us, and a gentle reminder of what could have been without being upsetting.

Thanks WhenSkies, I agree entirely about it being a gentle reminder.