What trees won’t grow big?!

[Hairybaker]

I like the look of the small olive trees you can get in pots (assume approx 1m high max) but will they keep growing?! I need something that stays 1m tall Max, any ideas?! Or am I being a bit thick?! It is for a garden border next to a fence. I want to plant them in the ground and then put cobbles on top all along border. Help!

1m is barely a tree.

Sun/shade?
Evergreen/deciduous?
On a stem/bushy to ground?
Flowering?

You really need to be looking at shrubs.

You’ re looking for a shrub really rather than a tree. Although you could have a standard (lollipop-style) olive or Bay as long as you are prepared to keep trimming it very regularly.

Best bet is to visit a garden centre and ask or look at the rhs website. There are plenty but any tree needs pruning to keep it in check size wise. Buddleia is lovely and grows really well, is amazing for attracting bees and smells great. You can hack it back each year and it just regrows so low maintenance. We also grow apples that are easy to keep small with pruning and also to grow along the fence, plums and cherries.

🤣 some photos of things I like! But will they grow too big?! Border is only approx 30cm wide

Hmm photos are not showing. Gets sun all day until 5pm

Also need to be dog friendly, I don’t think bay trees are.

Surely you mean a small shrub, not a tree?

You can get rosemary 1m high and bay trees that size with the bonus of using them in cooking. If put into the ground though, they would grow bigger, but being in the pot will contain them somewhat.

You can also get citrus trees in pots, but they usually need fleecing in the winter, or being brought inside.

Sorry I am not green fingered at all as you can prob tell! Please suggest some shrub names I can look out for :)

A mature olive tree.

You can get apple and pear trees grafted onto something like a quince stock so you have miniature fruit trees. I have an apple an it's rather cute.

Thanks, but apparently I need shrubs not trees, if anyone has any recommendations of what I should look for please :)

Japanese Acers. Sink a 12-18" pot into the ground, fill with John Innes ericaceous compost, plant an acer in it and it will happily stay short.

After all, these are the trees used for bonsai... I have six of them and the tallest is only 6' and I've had it 20 years... all are potted because they hate alkaline soil.

There are so many beautiful ones out there, too.

Box shrubs
Acer is a good call
Some fuschias
Some roses- standards I think they're called in that shape
I think if you're after that lollipop shape, Google 'standard shrubs'

Thanks so much!!!!

Is your border against paving or grass? Is it a new build property at all?

If it's paving and it's only 30 cm wide in full sun it's going to get very dry. The quality of the soil will be poor if it's a new build too. Try and incorporate lots of organic matter into the bed. It will increase the water holding capacity of dry soil or help break up clay soil.

You want to look at Mediterranean types plants though as a starter.

If you like things like the second picture and gravel how about
bromeliads
www.yougarden.com/item-p-560100/hardy-bromeliad-fascicularia-bicolour?&source=PPCYGSGOOG&utm_source=PPCYGSGOOG&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0N-FndmP8AIVDdTtCh0-rwQKEAQYASABEgIOY_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
And cordylines

www.yougarden.com/item-p-680256/cordyline-australis-charlie-boy