IN THE GARDEN
ADDED INTEREST The Acer griseum (above and left) earned its common name, paperbark maple, for its distinctive cinnamon-coloured peeling bark There really are many reasons for planting a tree, and as the old adage goes, ‘the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago and the second best time is now’. What to choose? There is a wide variety of trees for different situations. For containers, varieties of Japanese maples ( Acer palmatum ) can be grown in acidic compost and will reward with intensely coloured foliage, while the cherry Prunus ‘Kojo-no-mai’ has zig- zagging stems and delicate blossom. If you have a little more space and are looking for a tree under 5m tall, a snowy mespilus ( Amelanchier lamarckii ) makes a great specimen, as does the paperbark maple ( Acer griseum ) with its cinnamon- coloured, peeling bark. With more space you might try a crab apple such as Malus ‘Evereste’, whose striking blossom is followed by yellow-orange fruits, or perhaps the spring-flowering Cornus kousa var. chinensis , both of which grow to 6-8m. If space is no problem and you can accommodate a specimen that will grow to 12m or more in height, you might choose an English oak ( Quercus robur ) to encourage biodiversity, or perhaps the Indian bean tree ( Catalpa bignonioides ) whose showy flowers cover the broad canopy in summer. Now is the time The autumn months provide the perfect window for planting trees, while the soil is still warm and autumn and winter rainfall will encourage root establishment, but avoid planting into waterlogged or frozen ground. Pot-grown trees can be planted at any time of the year but will require more frequent watering immediately after. To encourage tree establishment, take care at the planting stage. Water the tree well before planting; dig a hole no deeper than the root ball, but twice as wide; place your tree in the hole so that the upper roots are level with the surrounding ground;
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