PRUNUS MUME BENICHIDORI

Japanese apricot

If your heart’s desire is a spring blossom, there are a number of cherries that fit the bill. There’s the tall slim Amanogawa, or Cheal’s weeping cherry, which grows to around 3m and will be covered in double pink flowers come April and May.

The Fuji cherries are suitable for container growing and small spaces – these are the epitome of a Japanese delicacy with soft early spring blooms and a blaze of autumnal foliage colour.

For a dazzling flourish of brilliant colour to cheer you up in February, choose the flowering apricot – Prunus mume Beni-chidori. This has delicious, almond-scented, deep pink blossoms on bare stems in February and would look stunning in a pot on a balcony or sheltered patio.