Primary Tree Surgeons ideas on 5 Trees for a small Garden 

These days, new houses come with ever-smaller outside spaces, and life is so busy that many of us want all the benefits of a beautiful tree without the work that a large one can sometimes require.

So, what to plant in a small space?  Here are five ideas, chosen for their range of small size, shape, colour, fruit and flower.  

1. Malus domestica “Spartan” (height 4.5m)

Delicious storybook red apples, resistant to scab and mildew and a reliable cropper (and even better when you plant next to a partner tree).   Harvests between October and March.

2. Betula utilis “Snow Queen” (height 5 – 10m)

Beautiful, luminous white trunk and branches which creates natural sculpture in a summer and winter garden.  It will tolerate most soils and sun or light shade, but you’ll need to wait two years for the full snowy glory.

3. Prunus Shogetsu (5m)

Every ornamental Cherry is pretty in flower but after this one blooms around May there is an added benefit of a beautiful, long autumn leaf which turns fiery in the season.  You’ll need a sunny, moist, well-drained spot and patience to treat it if the caterpillars descend!

4. Malus evereste “Crab Apple”(7m)

Who’d have thought the simple Crab Apple could be such a hard worker, offering red buds and white flowers in April, and yellow fruits in autumn, sadly inedible for us but a great source of food for the birdlife.  A great choice if you have room for just one tree in a small garden since the colour comes in waves through the year.  The crab apple likes the sun or partial shade, and well drained soil.

5. Pyrus salicifolia “Pendula” (5m)

This dramatic weeping Pear sweeps down in a compact shape ideal for a small space looking for a strong shape.  Grey-leaved in summer and sculpturally bare in winter, it is tougher than it looks.  It does best in full sun, can cope with any soil and is resistant to drought and cold.    

We are well connected to a range of excellent nurseries and can supply, plant, stake and mulch your trees in position.  Call Andrew on 07771 883061 or 01256 817369 to talk about planting a beautiful tree in your small garden.