small/med garden tree for alkaline soil

[EveHen]

Hi, I have been going round and round in circles trying to decide on a tree for our garden, and I was hoping the wise heads of mums net would be able to help me out!
Background - novice gardener. Location Berkshire (near Twyford, Reading RG10). We have a victorian garden, long and narrow (6x30m). House is at the south end of the garden, but the garden slopes up the hill so it gets nice sun where we want to plant. Soil is alkaline, very free draining. Plants like sage, lavender seem to do well. It has a few bits of flint in it, not much organic matter, I don't think it is chalky (deep top soil onto a clay-like sub base - however there is a chalk pit in the village only a few hundred metres away).
Tree - I want a deciduous tree to provide a bit of shade. It will be situated midway up the garden so we want some clear trunk to be able to walk around it easily and to be able to see up the garden a bit. I really want a pink flowering magnolia - however I am not sure they will do well in this soil, especially as I have a young family and work, so not able to give it heaps of attention. Not sure what other trees would be elegant, friendly, interesting tree in the garden. We are thinking about planting a crab apple (toringo scarlett) that we saw in the garden centre today further up the garden - but not too keen on dropping fruit where we want to plant this one as it will be around lawn/seating and don't want to walk on rotten apples! The neighbour has a amelanchier in the front garden which looks happy and birds love, but it is quite a scrappy looking tree - not sure if they are all like that, but I like the smooth thick branches of the magnolia.... So confusing! I like japanese maples too but they are like acid soil and are too slow growing to give us any shade
Any other ideas greatly appreciated!!!

We have a weeping crab apple, the fruits are very small so I never notice them after they drop. I had a cherry tree in my last garden, which was similarly ok (although I think we or the birds got all the fruit.)

Dad has a crab that might be that one you are considering. He is unhappy with it as the flowers just don't show against the bronze foliage.

Whitebeam, sorbus aria. Gorgeous in spring & summer, beautiful silvery leaves, white berries thrives in alkaline or clay soil.

Thanks for your replies! The crab we looked at today had pink flowers on pinkish foliage and thinking about it they didn't stand out much so you could be right there. Not sure if that bothers me too much though.

The white beam is an interesting suggestion - google tells me it gets to 15m though? Which is a bit big for us! The garden slopes up, (there are steps up just out of our back door) which adds about 1.5m to a tree instantly)

Field maple, Acer Campestre, RHS says it grows to over 12m. Time to ultimate height is 10-20 years according to RHS website.
Being able to walk round the trunk and not get too big is tricky.
But in 10 years the DCs will be grown so you might be looking for a different style of garden so a tall tree might not matter. Or you can have it removed and replaced with something less robust!
There are many flowering cherries of different heights and spreads.

Thanks Tiggerlily. i did look at a field maple but they seem more like a tree for a farm rather than a small garden? or am I wrong about that Do you have one?
I don't need to be able to walk all the way round I guess - but don't want one that is very wide or shrub-like or very weeping if that makes sense? I would like it to have some clear truck.
It is annoying because sometimes I see a lovely tree in a garden but I never know what they are!

I just got a malus evereste and flowers a bright white and leaves very green - very fresh and pretty. I also got a Rowan which will have pale pink berries - would that be an option?

Amelanchier always sound lovely!

Have a look at Barcham Tree nursery website . It had an encyclopaedia of knowledge . They are so helpful if you contact them by email. They may be out of your budget but it will give you a really good starting point.

We have very free draining, south facing, alkaline chalky soil and have to be very careful which trees we plant.

We had a rowan which I wasn't keen on. We have a massive acer we planted 12 years ago which is doing v well, so don't rule them all out.

Lilacs also do well here.

My new fave recently planted is a Judas tree - cercis silaquastrum.

What about a spindle tree? It’s more of a large shrub but puts on a spectacular display of colour in autumn. It’s poisonous, just to warn if you have small children.
A couple of evergreen shrubs, which are obviously not deciduous but are pretty and tolerate alkaline soil- strawberry tree (arbutus), pittosporum tenuifolium, daphne odoratum (daphne are rather slow growing but very pretty, another poisonous one though).

Ooh yes, I lust after Judas trees but my soil is the opposite of what they like (wet, acid clay). So lovely!

I have just googled Judas tree - they are very striking! Are they all pink? It is definately on the list, but we might have to rethink the crab otherwise the pink might be overwhelming!
I am trying to avoid poisonous plants - my toddler isn't keen on food but did eat a snail the other day, so it might be a bit hazardous for me

Yes they are bright pink, but only briefly flower before the leaves.

Our crabapple doesn't like our soil I don't think. We've had it six years and it's hardly grown....

Taffeta - I don;t suppose you have a pic of your Judas tree? Is is flowering now? What is your crab apple? I thought they liked all kinds of soil?
Also Theclearing - likewise is your malus in flower? Any chance of a pic? It is so hard to get pics of the whole tree rather than just a close up of leaf and flower...

I could take a pic but we only planted it last month so it won't tell you much!!!

It flowered a few weeks ago and is now busy making leaves.

Not sure exactly what sort of crab apple. It's not dying - it's just not doing much...