National Tree Planting Week, which began in 1975, starts this year on November 21st. It is the start of the winter planting season and is a reminder of the valuable contribution trees make to our environment.
By planting a tree in our gardens or as communities we are helping to overcome the effects of climate change, improving the look of our surroundings and offering a great opportunity for wildlife to move into the area.
Deciduous trees contribute the most. The fresh foliage each spring produces more oxygen than narrow leaf evergreens like conifers. The variation in shape, foliage colour, flowers and fruit give lots of interest throughout the year. One tree can support hundreds of species. Birds shelter, nest and feed on the fruits and seeds, insects feed on the nectar and leaves and then overwinter in the cracks in the bark. Small mammals like squirrels, mice, voles and bats also shelter amongst the branches and eat the fruits.
It is important to choose the right tree for your soil conditions and situation. Large trees should not be planted too close to buildings to avoid structural damage. Most species prefer Free Draining Soil but varieties like Birch, Willow and Alder prefer wetter sites.
Initially decide whether to plant a small or large ornamental tree, a hedge, a group of trees, a fruit tree or grow in a Patio Pot. Specimen trees should be planted in a place where the whole tree shape can be admired and not crowded by any other plants. Large gardens and open community spaces can accommodate a large specimen or a group of trees. Varieties of native woodland trees are good choices.
The Weeping Willow, Salix Vitellina, has curtains of graceful branches with yellow bark that glows in winter sunlight and looks gorgeous planted near water. Quercus Rubra, The Red Oak, is a stately tree with rich autumn colours and acorn fruits. Fraxinus Excelsior Jaspidea, The Yellow Ash, has bright yellow foliage in autumn and yellow bark in winter. Fagus Sylvatica
Purpurea Tricolor, The Purple Beech, has purple red leaves edged pink and cream and beech nuts in autumn loved by squirrels.
A good species for group planting are the Birches. They should be spaced about two metres apart to encourage the straight white trunks. Betula Utilis Inverleigh has ghostly white bark and catkins with pollen and nectar. Another food source for insects.
Trees in smaller gardens give the skyline structure.
Malus John Downie has apple blossom in spring with pollen and nectar for insects and red yellow fruits in autumn for the birds. Any fallen fruits are eaten by mice, voles and badgers.
Crataegus Crimson Cloud, has deep red flowers and white centres in spring and red berries in autumn loved by the birds. Prunus Subhirtella Autumnalis, is a Flowering Cherry giving colour with its pink flowers from November until spring. Sorbus Aucuparia Eastern Promise, is a variety of Mountain Ash, with white flowers in spring and fantastic leaf colour and red fruits in autumn. Salix Caprea Pendula, the Weeping Pussy Willow, has pendulous branches and silvery catkins in Spring.
Hedges are a good way of planting trees in a small area. Prunus Spinosa, The Blackthorn, with white flowers in spring, leaves loved by moths and caterpillars and sloe fruits in autumn, which are an essential ingredient for sloe gin. Cratageous Monogyna, Hawthorn, also makes a good hedge with the same dense thorny branches to give birds shelter in Winter white flowers in spring and red berries in the Autumn.
If you choose to plant a fruit tree consider Heritage Apples with their wonderful names. Many of these old varieties are in danger of disappearing so by planting these you are really helping conservation. Apple Irish Peach is sweet and delicious eaten straight from the tree. Apple Scotch Dumpling a cooking apple with creamy frothy flesh. Apple Cornish Gillflower a dessert russet pippin with a rich aromatic flavour.
Trees can also be grown in pots on the patio. Plant in a large pot with good drainage using John Innes Compost number 3 with some added grit. Laurus Nobilis, The Bay Tree, is an
aromatic evergreen which can be trained as a standard and Olea Europaea, Olive Tree, also evergreen and can be trained in the same way.
So find a tree to suit your garden and plant a tree this November.
National Tree Planting Week, which began in 1975, starts this year on November 21st. It is the start of the winter planting season and is a reminder of the valuable contribution trees make to our environment.
By planting a tree in our gardens or as communities we are helping to overcome the effects of climate change, improving the look of our surroundings and offering a great opportunity for wildlife to move into the area.
Red and Yellow and Pink and Green Orange and Purple and Blue these are the colours of a Rainbow which can all be found in your garden every autumn. As the days get shorter and the light levels and temperatures drop deciduous plants will stop producing chlorophyll, their source of nutrition, and shed their leaves. Chlorophyll produces the green leaves we see when plants are actively growing. In autumn the chlorophyll breaks down and the leaves loose the green pigment revealing other colours in the leaves.
Bulbs are the hidden surprises in the garden. We plant daffodils crocus and tulips in Autumn and forget about them until spring. The autumn flowering daffodil Sternbergia Lutea with its bright yellow trumpet is an autumn delight when allowed to naturalise, as is Cyclamen Hederifolium planted in light shade under trees and left undisturbed.
