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Choosing a tree for your garden can be a daunting task. There is so much choice these days and where space is limited, you really don’t want to end up with anything that gets too big. Selecting a tree that gives year-round interest is also worth bearing in mind. Here are some of our absolute favourites:

Betula utilis var. jacquemontii 'Trinity College' (Himalayan birch)

A fantastic new variety with a gleaming white trunk, even from an early age. It has an upright, graceful habit with beautiful, clear yellow leaves in the autumn. Maximum height = 6m (20ft).

Malus x robusta 'Red Sentinel' (Crab apple)

Crab apples make a great addition to any garden and this variety is a particularly good one to look out for. Scented white flowers appear in spring, followed by large clusters of deep red fruit in the autumn. These remain on the tree well into January and provide a useful source of food for birds over the winter. Maximum height = 4m (13ft).

Prunus 'Tai-haku' (Great white cherry)

A classic flowering cherry with very large, single white flowers that look stunning when contrasted against a clear blue sky. In the autumn, the foliage turns a beautiful shade of yellow and orange. Maximum height = 6m (20ft).

Sorbus ‘Autumn Spire’ (Rowan)

This is an exceptionally handsome, upright clone of Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ which, in its own right, is a lovely tree. It is slimmer and smaller than its parent and so is perfect where space is at a premium. White spring flowers are followed by a profusion of yellow berries and reddish-yellow leaves in the autumn. Maximum height = 5.5m (18ft).

(apps.rhs.org.uk)

Stonehill Quarry Garden
Great Gate
Croxden
nr Uttoxeter
Staffordshire
ST10 4HF

The amazing quarry garden Joe Swift went to see is open under the National Gardens Scheme on Sunday 20 April. For more information, follow the link below. 

(www.ngs.org.uk)

If your recently potted dahlias have developed strong new shoots, then now is the time to take cuttings. Using a sharp knife, cut a few shoots as close to the tuber as possible without damaging the tuber. Remove the lower leaves, cut below a node and insert into a pot of free-draining compost. Place these somewhere warm and light ensuring that they do not dry out. With luck, they will have rooted within a few weeks. 

(apps.rhs.org.uk)

Hardy annuals can be sown directly where you want them to grow. Simply scatter the seed across the surface and rake it in, or sprinkle them along lines you’ve made in the soil. Either way, you’ll end up with a wonderful show of flowers for very little effort. 

(apps.rhs.org.uk)

As late-flowering clematis are putting on lots of new growth at the moment, it’s worth taking the time to tie in the young shoots. Using soft twine, loosely tie them in so that the new stems don’t get crushed. 

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