The Natural Gardener
Irecently had an exciting delivery of an enormous rowan tree – it’s a good 3-4m (10-13ft) tall, much larger than I ordered due to a mix up at the tree nursery. I’m not complaining as it means more immediate impact and height to my garden and I can enjoy it sooner! It’s a real focal point already and I can’t wait for it to leaf up, flower and fruit.
That’s the great thing about garden trees – they offer so much to our plots. Essential to the well-rounded, well-designed garden, not only are they tall, attention-grabbing plants that offer good stature and presence, they’re fascinating with it and bring interest and life all year round. Pick a good one, such as my rowan, and you get lovely leaves, spring flowers, autumn colour and bright, shiny fruit – the ultimate all-in-one plant. So, a garden designer’s dream with year-round attractions, is there no end to a tree’s talents? Well, no as a matter of fact, and every garden should have one.
Their most appealing and important role, though, is as key wildlife habitat for pretty much all forms of garden life. It’s not just gentle giant oaks or sycamores that bring in all the beasties; for invertebrates, insects, birds and mammals, all trees are a rich larder of food and essential, safe living space for nesting, shading, sheltering, hibernating and roosting. That’s not to mention their other vital role as oxygen-giver, their importance to soil-life, water cycles and weather systems.
There are about 30 million trees in our gardens, which alone cover an area nearly the size of the New Forest National Park, so each one we plant is indispensable. Sadly, new-build homes tend to have tiny gardens, with less and less room likely given over to trees, but actually there are plenty to choose from that cater for every size and space. Beautiful birches reach only about 12m (40ft) after a couple of decades and offer respite to a staggering 521 species of invertebrate, which in turn feed many different birds. Hollies keep quite compact, with flowers and berries that feed birds and butterflies, while a motley crew of fruity, flowering crab apples and rowans come in an array of small varieties. Mine is the slightly taller, original species of rowan but you could try ‘Olympic Flame’, which remains more modest. Bird cherries (Prunus padus) and hazels also work wonderfully, as do diminutive ornamental pears, such as ‘Chanticleer’, strawberry trees or amelanchiers. There’s something for everyone!