Winter bloom
Nothing lifts the spirits at this time of year like the beautiful pale pink blossom of lateflowering cherries
Cherry blossom in November? You must be joking. Well, in the case of most cherries, yes, but there is one that does manage to put on a good show in mild spells between now and March – and that is the aptly named autumn flowering cherry, Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’.
Hard frosts will stop it in its tracks for a while, but when they pass it picks up where it left off and starts to open its buds all over again.
Its flowers are not as large as spring-flowering cherries, but they are every bit as cheering – more so because they come when most other plants have decided it’s time for bed.
If you are looking for a light-canopied tree for a small garden, it is a really good choice.
If you feel it lacks interest in summer, all you need to do is train a clematis through its branches. The best choice is one of the Viticella or Texensis hybrids, which can be cut down to ground level in winter.
Right now, that blossom is carried on bare branches that show it off beautifully against a clear blue sky.
The individual flowers may be creamy white or, in my favourite variety ‘Autumnalis Rosea’, a delicate shade of pink, making the whole effect like that of coconut ice.
Plant the tree at the back of a border or in a lawn where spring-flowering bulbs can be grown at its base – dwarf narcissi such as tete-a-tete will create a good spring show without producing too much foliage to become a nuisance after flowering.
If you plant it now, in soil that has been enriched with plenty of organic matter, you can sit back and enjoy the autumn cherry’s instant effect. As far as pruning goes, you need not worry a jot. Snipping out a few stems in the tree’s youth to ensure it stays shapely and evenly canopied is all that is necessary.
After that, just let it get on with life and it will cheer you up each autumn and winter.
I can think of few small trees that are so easy to look after and which are so reliable at brightening the seasonal garden.
‘‘ Blossom shows off beautifully against a clear blue sky