Ornamental Trees

Trees for sale... What could they add to your garden?

Ornamental Trees In the Garden

Trees are breathtaking in their diversity, varying not only in height, shape and form but also in ornamental qualities, with a wonderful range of foliage, flowers, fruits, and even bark to suit any setting. The passing of the seasons provides ever-changing interest, as deciduous trees come into bright new leaf, flower, fruit and finally shed their colourful foliage. Evergreens, however, keep up their show throughout the year. Even a single tree will add height and structural interest to a garden, however small; it acts as a living sculpture at the same time as introducing a sense of permanence. Trees also need little or no maintenance once established.

Using Trees in Garden Design

Together with other long-term features, such as walls and paths, trees form part of the bones of a garden design, contributing greatly to its overall style and structure. In most gardens, small ornamental trees play a more important role than forest trees, which are only really suited to large gardens. It is vital to select and site a tree carefully so that it will become a long lasting asset to your garden.

Deciduous trees have a mass of foliage from spring to autumn, but bare branches in winter, whereas evergreen trees add welcome blocks of year round texture and colour. If you have room for a number of trees, it is worth considering how they will work together.

Seasonal interest

One of the pleasures of gardening is to observe how your living creation ebbs and flows throughout the year. Many trees have marked seasonal cycle: in spring, the first signs of fresh growth emerge; in high summer there is an abundance of foliage and flowers; autumn brings ripe fruits and dramatic leaf colours; and in winter skeletal branches may be iced with frost or displaying attractive textured bark. Many have more than one peak period, with spring blossom and autumn berries, for example. These changing effects can be set against a constant back drop, such as the even colour and texture of an evergreen hedge, surrounding buildings, or the sky.