The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Time to get planting
November is a great month to start thinking about the year ahead and is often considered as nature’s time to plant, due to moderate temperatures and rainfall.
It is the perfect time as it allows plants to root and acclimatise before the onset of summer heat or the harsher temperatures of winter.
It’s also a good time to plant trees before the ground gets too hard or frozen, making them the ideal choice for the Horticultural Trades Association’s (HTA) plant of the month for November.
Trees planted in autumn will experience much less stress and will require less watering and aftercare than trees planted in spring or summer.
Trees can be positioned in wet and dry land and can tolerate acidic, chalky, sandy and clay soils and come in all shapes and sizes.
From flowering cherries and crab apples to evergreen yews and weeping willows, trees offer different leaf size, shape and colour. There are those that flower magnificently in spring and those whose leaves offer brilliant au-tumn colour just before leaf fall.
By planting trees you can also reduce or improve your carbon footprint and generally enhance the environment.
While limited space obviously rules out planting majestic oaks and beeches, there are plenty of smaller, but equally beautiful trees to choose from. Malus and Prunus, Betula and Sorbus are all favourites for the average garden.
Avid tree fan, horticulturist and broadcaster Christine Walkden, said: “Trees add movement and grace to any garden situation, raising the eye into the third dimension, with stunning foliage, lovely flowers, great fruit and the ability to attract bird life and insects into the garden.
“They have a place in all gardens. Some being suitable for container growing and for small gardens whilst others will add much to the greater landscape. We should all be planting more trees.”