Gardeners Tips

Trees are great natural features in our British landscape. It is no surprise that gardeners want to grow them in their gardens.
In addition to the horticultural problems trees can cause damage that other plants do not.  Broken branches and flying debris can break glass or knock down fences, roots can damage drains, trees take up water from the soil leaving it prone to subsidence and, rarely trees cause damage to foundations .

How to Avoid Tree Damage.

• Only plant trees where they are unlikely to cause direct damage or subsidence.
• Do not allow trees to overhang buildings.
• Plant trees 6 feet  or 2 m   away from boundary walls.
• Subsidence depends on many factors chiefly soil type, foundations, weather, and vegetation. Trees can increase the risk of subsidence because they take  water up from the soil. Clay soils are often worst.
• Don’t plant trees anywhere near overhead electricity lines or telephone wires.
• Ensure trees do not grow over greenhouses, conservatories or roofs.
• Prune dead wood to avoid or reduce branches breaking off.
• Keep the height of your trees below the distance to your buildings.
• Root damage to buildings is rare and subsidence is the more likely cause
• Leaking drains will get clogged up with tree roots (roots cannot get into sound unbroken drains). Maintain your drains. …

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I think lilac trees are boring for 11 months of the year but for a powerful scent they are hard to beat in late May.

The White Lilac is every bit as scented as the ‘lilac’ Lilac.

For tips growing Lilac see this post

For cut flowers

• Pick stems early in the morning when full of sap.
• Put immediately into warm water,
• Split the stem for 1″ with a sharp knife do not crush.
• In this way they should last more than 4 days but otherwise Lilac will disappoint.

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Not the the traditonal blousy Japanese cherry but the purple-leaved bird cherry is a more unusual choice for the large garden.

Bird Cherry Description

• Smaller than the wild cherry it will still grow to circa 20-30 feet with a similar spread.
• Dark purple shoots appear in spring followed by coppery-purple foliage that gradually fades to green.
• The dark foliage is the perfect foil for the delicate pale-pink flowers, which are held on elongated clusters.
• The flowers have a delicate almond scent
• These are followed later in the year by astringent black fruits which birds adore.
• The bird cherry will grow on most neutral to alkaline soils and is particularly good for chalky soils.
• Often seen in mixed hedges that support wild life.

Bird Cherry Varieties

• Albertii is a vigorous free growing fome of Prunus Padus
• Clorata has an AGM for young coppery leaves and pale pink flowers.
• Waterii grandiflora long racemes of flowers and also has an AGM
• Prunus padus commutata The Mayday Tree is of medium height (30′), low-branched and has a compact, rounded canopy that may reach 20′