Trees in small gardens

[WobblyLondoner]

Inspired by some photos on the show us your garden thread I'd love to see some pictures of trees in small gardens.

I've a small urban garden (c 40 foot by 15) and I currently have an acer and a witch hazel (both in large pots) and a really annoying apple tree (too dwarf and - through my own inept staking - completely lopsided). I have tried and failed with a rowan. I'm wondering about a tree to replace the apple tree and perhaps something else. But I'm always a bit fearful of buying something too big, and even the trees suggested for small gardens eventually grow pretty high and have a big canopy.

I'd love to see your pictures!

Hope ok but am tagging @Fiorentina (hope that's the right spelling) who had some fantastic photos on another thread.

Back garden has espalier double trees (apple and pear) and a Bay tree on the left and blueberry shrubs on the right, front garden has an Acer and a Hawthorn (pictured) and the other side has a Hazel, a flowering American Currant and a Holly Tree.

@PeregrineDrive. How exciting, a new garden. My garden is due in a large part to MN Gardeners.Due to ill health I had to rip out my old garden which I had had for 40 years. I received so much sympathy and guidance at the time.

I had a long thread going for over a year as the old garden came out a posted monthly updates and photos. So many people who helped me them are still here. Sadly ‘shovetheholly’ disappeared suddenly.

If anyone wants to see the old garden and transformation to the new garden.

It is on 16th December 2016. GrannyGarden
Titled
The landscapers are here, it’s better than then arrival of Santa.

All this silver birch love is making me dither - but I think they would be too tall for our garden. Amelanchier still at the top of my list - I should probably wait until autumn but but course would like to do it now!

Thanks @FLOrenze - I'd not seen that earlier post and will read with interest. Link here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2800914-The-Landscapers-are-here-it-is-better-than-the-arrival-of-Santa

It’s an excellent choice.

I really like my amelanchier, it's in a bit of the garden where it catches the evening light and glows.

This is our garden when we moved in and now. Our neighbour has massive silver birches which cause our patio to go wonky, so I get a bit nervous about planting more trees... we also have a whopping bay tree between the house and the outhouse.

We've got red Robin lining the fence, an apple tree, two small bays with a Laurel in between and I'm not sure what the one over on the right is...

I love this thread. I have planted a hazel, they don't grow too big though you do get multiple stems.

FLOrenzewhat a beautiful garden you have created!

@longtompot Yours sounds amazing! We also have a very small garden around 15x50 feet.

We inherited self seeded sycamores on the rear boundary plus a silver birch. Sadly the plum tree died but we have left the trunk & wound climbers & solar fairy light around it.

We now have a willow tree as well. I thought it was an apple tree initially that had self seeded from a windfall from next door, potted it up & then planted it out. Then the catkins appeared

@sluj @whatisthisinhere jumping on this thread and hoping you can help!

I’m interested in a crab apple tree for privacy from overlooking neighbours. Can you tell me how big yours grew and how long it took yours to grow that high, oh and do you think it would provide good screening ie- bushy leaves? I can’t find an answer on google and I don’t think I have seen any in real life!

@FLOrenze I hadn’t thought of a Amalanchier, does that provide good privacy can I ask? I don’t really want something going over 20ft

@Doyouavocado A crab apple is very like an apple tree, except they're usually trained to have a trunk and normal tree type top (apples are usually pruned to have an open centre for easier picking).

Amelanchiers can be bought in any height and then pruned to keep the height needed. They will give some privacy but bear in mind they are deciduous.

A good tree for privacy is..Acer Griseum also,know as snake bark acer. It has a wonderful habiit year round colours a very interesting bark. .I take the top out of mine each spring to keep the spread.

This is mine

Our garden is tiny, 6m by 10m maybe so the only tree we put in was a dwarf apple tree, the other plants we've planted (previous owners just had artificial grass!) are climbers along the fence and up the wall or herbs in pots. We have dwarf conifers in a box on the balcony and wildflowers mixed with grass in the tiny front garden aka I hate mowing. We plan to take up the artificial lawn but can't find a contractor willing to do it here

I have two Amelanchiers, both over 30 years old, neither are large trees and do they’re definitely a good option for a standard garden. They’re my favourite trees (although the flowering is very short lived)

Having started this thread last year I'm returning to look at all the great advice I got on it. I bought an Amerlanchier in the end, which is doing very well and looking gorgeous at the moment - lovely autumn colour.

Am now wondering about another tree - possibly a crab apple. It sounds foolish but I'd not realised how much impact they can have in a small garden.

That looks lovely. I’m planning to finally cut down the old plum tree trunk to give a bit more space at that end of the garden. My willow blew down in a storm at the start of the year & I’m not sure our silver birch survived root damage from work done by our neighbours plus the summer drought.

So potentially lots of scope for changes. Our local council are offering free native trees to encourage people to plant more & have ordered a few.

The amelanchier looks lovely.

a neighbour has a crab apple with the most amazing bright red large crab apples that seem to stay on the tree for ages. I got a weeping one that looks fabulous in spring with white blossom but the apples are very insignificant.

Red Jade? I have that. The apples may be pea sized, but the blackbird still appreciates them. Mine’s about 30 years old, and at least twice as wide as it is high

Thank you.

I'm now wondering about this - Prunus mume 'Omoi-no-mama'
www.ornamental-trees.co.uk/prunus-mume-omoi-no-mama-tree-p505

I'm hoping it will balance well with the Amerlanchier on the other side.