With Agnes Stevenson
Be brave with your choice and you could soon be enjoying crab apples, peaches or even figs, says Agnes Stevenson, as she finds inspiration on the Black Isle
This week I planted a winter flowering cherry tree next to the patio. I’ve had it for a couple of years and couldn’t find the right spot, but then a chat with someone who knows a lot about trees persuaded me to move it out of its pot and into the soil.
Colin Munro of Munro’s Nursery on the Black Isle told me: “Enjoy it for 10 years and if it gets too big you can take it out and plant something else.” His bold approach persuaded me to finally stop dithering and get a move on and already I’m convinced it was the right decision.
As they mature, winter flowering cherries spread out to create a lacy canopy that casts little shade even when covered in leaves, so the chances of it outgrowing its place in the garden are limited, and in the meantime I’ll get years of enjoyment from its cold weather blossom.
Colin’s nursery is one of several that have been participating in the Scottish Tree Festival, which runs until December 1. The festival coincides with peak planting time so Colin and his staff have been busy giving advice to gardeners about which trees to choose.
His top recommendations include crab apples, for their spring blossom and autumn fruits, and birch for its incredible bark. Both will grow happily in the north of Scotland, but Colin says he is always impressed by how his customers don’t allow latitude to limit their choices.“there are gardeners who coax peaches and figs to fruit outdoors. They take advantage of the micro-climate found in the inner Moray Firth and they choose south-facing walls to provide extra heat and shelter.”
He also praises gardeners in the north of Scotland for their willingness to choose bare-root trees over container-grown.“this is a farming area and people have a connection to the land, so they are happy working with bare-root plants.”
Unless there is honey-fungus in your garden, in which case container grown trees would be a better choice as there is some evidence this makes them less susceptible to the disease, bare root is definitely the way to go. Admittedly a young tree doesn’t look like much when its branches are leafless twigs and its roots are exposed, but during the dormant season the tree will come to no harm at all if its lifted and replanted in this way.
Moreover, these trees are cheaper to buy because they are fieldgrown. Also roots that haven’t been confined in a container are less likely to keep spiralling in circles once in the ground, so your tree will get off to a good start.
So don’t dither over your choice – go on, plant a tree this autumn and enjoy it for many years to come.