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Best Trees for Spring Blossom /in , /by

Embrace the Beauty of Spring

The Best Blossom Trees for Your Garden

With the promise of spring in the air, now is the perfect time to add the timeless elegance of blossom trees to your garden. The favourites must be crab apple and cherry trees, which stand out for their fragrant floral displays, which grace any garden.

While Practicality Brown are known for the range of quality evergreen screening trees and ready-to-plant Practical Instant Hedge™, we also have a range of beautiful deciduous trees which will add interest to your garden with their seasonal changes.

 

Why Plant Blossom Trees?

Blossom trees, with their abundant flowers are a joyful addition to any garden. Our top picks are crab apple and cherry trees, which offer a spring spectacle, are wildlife friendly and have wonderful autumn colours later in the year.

Crab Apple Trees

Crab apple trees are known for their pretty blossoms and vibrant fruit displays. These trees not only provide a burst of colour in spring but the small, colourful fruits attract birds and add interest to your garden throughout the year.

MALUS ‘Evereste’

A small compact tree with white flowers in spring and masses of red-orange fruits in autumn.

A tough tree, disease resistant and pollution tolerant. It’s a crab apple tree for any small garden, giving an attractive display all year round. Mature height: 3-7m

 

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry trees are known for their profusion of flowers. Whether you have a compact urban space or a lovely family garden, our selection ensures you can find the perfect cherry tree to enhance your landscape. The delicate pink or white blooms create a picturesque scene that captures the essence of spring.

PRUNUS cerasifera Nigra

This Cherry Plum tree is early to bloom, and the single pink flowers remain on the tree as the dark foliage emerges, gradually fading to white and contrasting well with the deep blackish-purple leaves.

Tolerates very severe pruning, making it easy to maintain and a perfect tree for small gardens. Mature height: 3-7m

PRUNUS serrulata kanzan

This beautiful cherry gives a display of glorious pink flowers each spring, with red foliage turning coppery-yellow in the autumn.  A good tree for adding colour to gardens, where space allows. Mature height: 7-12m

PRUNUS serrulata shirotae

A gently weeping cherry tree whose green foliage often appears first, followed by a profuse display of  large single and semi-double white flowers. This attractive ornamental flowering cherry tree looks stunning when planted as a focal point. Mature height: 3-7m

PRUNUS serrulata ‘shirofugen’

This tree is one of the last cherries to produce its show of double white flowers, which gradually turn pink, and holds on to them into late May or early June.  This tree is often considered to be the best Japanese flowering cherry tree available. Mature height: 3-7m

PRUNUS subhirtella Autumnalis Rosea

A Winter flowering cherry which blooms from November through to March with semi-double pink flowers. A great tree to add some colour during the winter months. Mature height: 3-7m

 

Plant Now to Enjoy This Spring

Now, as winter gives way to spring, is the perfect time to plant these trees. Planting now means you will be able to enjoy the flowering trees this year, as well as in subsequent years.

Investing in blossom trees, like crab apple and cherry, will add beauty to your garden which will be transformed into a vibrant, blooming paradise.

Our expertise extends beyond supplying trees, we can also plant and offer care and maintenance advice to ensure your blossom trees thrive in their new home.

 

How to find out More

If you like to find out more about our range of deciduous trees, you can:

  • Book a visit to our nursery in Iver, Buckingham to view our trees and hedges
  • Call 01753 652022 to speak to our horticultural team
  • Email us for a bespoke quotation.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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Best Trees for Blossom /in , /by

Best Flowering Trees

One of the joys of walking through our tree nursery in spring is the delightful blossom that graces the flowering trees, with their abundance of pink and white blooms.

If you are looking for some spring colour in your gardens, we have the following muti-stem flowering trees in stock.

Magnolia stellata (Star magnolia)

Magnolia stellata in bloom

The Star magnolia is a charming, slow growing tree. A mass of stunning, bright white, star-shaped spreading white flowers in March to April before giving way to lush, mid-green leaves. slow-growing magnolia forming a compact rounded specimen, making it ideal for small gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

Prunus cerasifera Nigra (Purple Plum)

Prunus cerasifera Nigra blossom

This Purple Plum tree has distinctively dark brown bark and pretty single pink flowers that appear early in the spring and remain on the tree whilst the dark foliage begins to emerge, gradually fading to white and contrasting fantastically with the dark leaves.  Prunus cerasifera Nigra will tolerate very severe pruning, making it easy to maintain and therefore a perfect tree for small gardens.

 

 

 

 

Prunus yedoensis – Yoshino Cherry

Prunus yedoensis, originating in Japan, is one of the most beautiful cherries. It is an elegant, medium-sized tree which is covered with small, pink-white flowers from April onwards. They hang in clusters of 5 or 6 and have a subtle almond fragrance. The leaves emerge a coppery colour towards the end of the flowers which create a beautiful contrast to the shiny, black fruits.

 

 

 

Hedging Alternatives

If you are looking for a hedge alternative to a tree, then our Practical Native Mix Instant Hedge has plants that are native to the UK and as such emulate traditional country hedgerows found throughout Britain. A typical composition would include the following species: Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Hornbeam, Hazel and Common Privet – many of which produce blossom and/or fruits.

 

Contact Us

Email about your requirements for trees in your garden; we can supply and plant many types of attractive trees.

 

Japanese Maple
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The Best Autumn Trees With Beautiful Colours [12 trees we recommend] /in , /by

The Best Trees for Beautiful Autumn Colours

The Best Autumn Trees are great for gardens, creating structure and seasonal interest, with the following trees offering beautiful autumnal colour.  Position such trees well and they will make an ideal focal point, that they can be enjoyed now and for future generations.

We have a range of quality trees for suitable as specimens, screening or for small gardens; just ask our horticultural experts.

Here is a selection of our top trees for colourful displays in your autumn garden. When choosing a tree, consider the space you have available, planting a selection of trees, if space allows, can provide rich contrast and seasonal interest.

Trees offering great autumn colours

  1. Acer palmatum (Japanese Maple)Best Autumn Trees
  2. Acer rubrum (Red Maple)
  3. Amelanchier Ballerina (Serviceberry Ballerina)
  4. Betula utilis jacquemontii (West Himalayan Birch)
  5. Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura Tree)
  6. Euonymus europaeus (Spindle)
  7. Fagus sylvatica (Common beech)
  8. Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair tree)
  9. Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum)
  10. Malus tschonoskii (Chonosuki crab)
  11. Nyssa sylvatica (Tupelo/Black Gum)
  12. Sorbus aucuparia Joseph Rock (Rowan Joseph Rock)

 

Acer palmatum (Japanese Maple)

Japanese Maples are prized for their gorgeous foliage, deeply lobed leaves, which emerge a vivid green and turn to shades of red, orange and yellow in autumn. Acer palmatum is an excellent choice for smaller gardens, as it grows to around 5m.

 

Acer rubrum (Red Maple)

These Red Maple trees are renowned for their spectacular scarlet autumn hues which emerge a pale yellow in spring gradually darkening to dark green in summer, turning bright red in autumn. The winter twigs have a red hue, as do its tiny spring flowers, providing additional interest.

 

Amelanchier Ballerina (Serviceberry Ballerina)

This tough, hardy small tree has masses of spring flowers. The bright green leaves turn brilliant red in the autumn, emerging in conjunction with rounded fruits which are initially red in summer before turning black in the autumn. Also known as June Berry or Serviceberry Ballerina

 

Betula utilis jacquemontii (West Himalayan Birch)

The bright white bark of this elegant himalayan birch tree peels each year, revealing the next layer of perfectly accentuated by lenticels lines. Its delicate, dark green foliage turn golden yellow in autumn.

 

Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura Tree)

This tree has pretty foliage that emerges bronze in spring before turning light green in the Summer. Autumn brings brilliant displays of orange yellow and red, accompanied by the smell of burnt sugar and candy floss which drifts gently in the breeze.

 

Euonymus europaeus (Spindle)

A small spreading tree, the Spindle has small yellow flowers, followed in autumn by 4-lobed red fruits which split to reveal orange seeds. The narrow leaves are dark green in summer turning yellow-green to reddish-purple in autumn.

 

Fagus sylvatica (Beech)

Beech tree’s small leaves are a fresh green when they emerge and become a stunning orange-copper and gold in autumn, which often hang on the tree throughout winter.

 

Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair tree ‘Autumn Gold’)

The Maidenhair Tree has bright green fan-shaped leaves. In autumn time, these wonderfully shaped leaves turn a clear and bright yellow and work well planted in contrast with other species that will give red autumn colour.

 

Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum)

Liquidambar produces large, 5-7 lobed, star-shaped leaves which emerge bright green in the spring then changing to fabulous red, purple and gold colours throughout the autumn; Liquidambar is one of the very best trees for autumn colour and one of the last deciduous trees to drop its leaves.

 

Malus tschonoskii (Chonosuki crab)

In the spring the young leaves of this tree emerge almost white. They have many spectacular shades in Autumn, from purple and copper through orange to yellow. The winter buds are a remarkable brownish-red colour and glossy.

 

Nyssa sylvatica (Tupelo)

The Tupelo or black gum is a wonderful tree for autumn foliage with its green summer leaves turning fiery red/ and orange in autumn.

 

Sorbus aucuparia Joseph Rock (Rowan Joseph Rock)

This Mountain Ash has small, narrow dark green leaves that turn a flame red in the autumn time.  The creamy white flowers hang in clusters, appearing around May-June.  These are followed by interestingly creamy yellow berries, whose colour contrasts fantastically with the bright red autumn colour.

 

Foxglove tree heat tolerant
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Top 10 Trees for hot dry summers /in , , /by

Drought Tolerant Trees

Trees are a great addition to almost any garden, creating structure and seasonal interest.  Gardens provide a sanctuary and respite from the busy world and planting trees are adapted to hotter, drier climates could be useful to these changing climatic conditions.

Here we list our top 10 trees that are suitable for hot dry or heat wave summers.

We have a range of quality trees for suitable as specimens, screening or for small gardens; just ask our horticultural experts.

Top 10 Trees for hot dry summers

  1. Betula pendula (Silver Birch)
  2. Catalpa bignonioides (Indian Bean Tree)
  3. Cercis siliquastrum (Judas tree)
  4. Corylus colurna (Turkish Hazel)
  5. Crataegus crusgalli (Cockspur thorn)
  6. Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair Tree)
  7. Gleditsia triacanthos (Honey Locust Sunburst)
  8. Koelreuteria paniculata (Golden Rain Tree)
  9. Paulownia tomentosa (Foxglove Tree)
  10. Pyrus calleryana Chanticleer (Callery Pear)

 

  1. Betula pendula

This tree, more commonly known as a Silver Birch, has an elegant appearance. As a young tree it has a distinctive white bark with darker lines and shapes decorating the trunk. Its main branches are long and often grow horizontally, creating a semi weeping habit.  The Pendula produces yellow catkins in the spring and light green foliage that shoots early and becomes orange-yellow in the autumn. This is a hardy tree which is frost resistant and regularly the first to grow back on bare or damaged land.

  1. Catalpa bignonioides

The Indian Bean tree originates from America. It is a magnificent medium to large tree which comes into leaf late and produces exotic orchid-like flowers in mid-summer followed by beans in the autumn. The leaves turn a pale yellow in the autumn. A good specimen tree.

  1. Cercis siliquastrum

Cercis siliquastrum is a bushy, deciduous small tree which produces its bloom straight from the trunk and stems. The rosy-lilac, pea-like flowers cover the wood in May, producing a stunning floral display that is quite uncharacteristic of a tree. Following the flowers, the bright green, almost heart shaped leaves are developed on the Judas tree, later accompanied by dark purple tinted seed pods in July.

  1. Corylus colurna

Also known as the Turkish Hazel, Corylus colurna is a stately and imposing tree at maturity. Its leaves are bright green and are broadly heart shaped. During the early spring long, yellow catkins are produced, followed by clusters of nuts that are contained in frilly looking husks in autumn.  It has a rough, corky bark that becomes more distinguished as it matures.

  1. Crataegus crusgalli

Crataegus crusgalli (or Cockspur thorn) is a small tree with horizontal, spreading branches and a flat-topped shape at maturity. It has showy white flowers, brick-red fruits, glossy summer and vibrant, multi-coloured autumn foliage, and bold winter texture.

  1. Ginkgo biloba

The Ginkgo biloba or Maidenhair Tree has bright green fan-shaped leaves, with two leaf blades. In autumn time, these wonderfully shaped leaves turn a clear and bright yellow. Ginkgo biloba forms a large specimen with a conical shape at maturity. It is extremely hardy and is a great choice for parks and avenues. Mature female plants produce fruits which bear a distinctive smell.

  1. Gleditsia triacanthos Sunburst

The Gleditsia triacanthos or Honey Locust Sunburst is a pretty and delicate looking tree which has a rounded and spreading form. The frond-like foliage is often late to appear, emerging a brilliant lime yellow colour and ageing to light green as the summer progresses. Unlike its parent, this cultivar is thornless.

  1. Koelreuteria paniculata

Koelreuteria paniculata is known as Pride of India, or the Golden Rain Tree. Its profuse small yellow flowers develop in late spring and these form lantern-shaped fruits that turn red in the autumn when its green leaves turn a rich yellow. Grow as a specimen tree in well-drained or moist but well-drained soil in full sun Golden Rain Tree thrives best on free draining soils with a sunny aspect.

  1. Paulownia tomentosa

The Paulownia tomentosa  or Foxglove tree, is a pretty and an unusual tree; it has extremely large, bright green, hairy leaves which can reach up to 30cm across and appear to come directly from the bare wood of the tree. In May this tree will produce large spikes of rich purple flowers, very similar to the foxglove. It is fast growing and sprawling, the wood is very light making it easy to prune. Paulownia tomentosa does best in sunny, reasonably sheltered sites.

  1. Pyrus calleryana Chanticleer

The Pyrus calleryana Chanticleer or Callery Pear is a medium tree, with side branches stretching upwards creating a narrow, conical shape. It has ovoid leaves, which emerge as early as March and are a glossy, lush green which last through to November, when they change to a reddish-purple before falling. It produces a small, pear-shaped fruit around 1 cm thick.
Pyrus calleryana Chanticleer is a very hardy tree and is resistant to frost, heat, wind and pollution.

Semi-Mature Trees Common lime tree
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Semi-Mature Trees at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 /in , , /by

Semi-Mature Trees at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018

There were very many beautiful gardens at this RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the BBC coverage showcased many of the designs. Monty Don, respected gardener and broadcaster chose his favourite Semi-Mature Trees from this year’s show; all of them spectacular specimens:

Morus nigra (Black Mulberry)

Centre to Paul Hervey-Brookes’s The Viking Cruises Wellness Garden is an aged mulberry tree, which designer Paul Hervey-Brookes has been nurturing for the last five years.

The Black Mulberry is a pretty, deciduous tree that is native to South Western Asia. It has very bright green leaves that are heart-shaped and have a serrated looking edge to them.  The bark is gnarly, giving even younger trees an old and historic appearance. As a mature tree, the Black Mulberry has a spreading, rounded shape to it which is almost domed, giving it a wide appeal architecturally.

The fruits emerge throughout the summertime, ripening towards the end of this period to be deep purple in colour and loganberry like in appearance. This tree will tolerate most soil conditions, preferring a lighter well-drained soil.
The Viking Cruises Wellness Garden is a space inspired by the spa and the idea of living well, both of which are intrinsic to the Nordic way of life. The garden is imagined to belong to a single person or couple and is a place in which to relax, feel at home with nature, unwind and recharge from the stresses of life. It is rich with traditional Nordic herbal and culinary plants, many of which are resurgent in Norway and Sweden.

Punica granatum (Pomegranate)

Sarah Price used Punica granatum (Pomegranate) for the M&G Garden

The M&G Garden is a romanticised haven designed for a warm, sunny climate. It expands on a timeless idea that a wall, a tree and a seat can create an intimate and beautiful place of repose. Using Mediterranean flora and raw materials dug directly out of the earth (clay, aggregate and pigment), the space celebrates the expressive language of colour, texture, light and shadow. The stand-out plants in the garden are a pair of beautifully gnarled old pomegranate trees.

Betula nigra (Black birch)

Trees take centre stage of Chris Beardshaw’s Morgan Stanley garden for NSPCC with a Betula nigra giving a genuine sense of maturity to the garden, allowing ground level planting to soften the rest of the space.

This tall tree forms a pyramidal shape, often having multiple trunks, with deeply ridged, dark brown bark. Younger trees have a uniquely flaky, orangey-red bark, which peels away from the tree without detaching. Foliage consists of soft, green rhombus-shaped leaves and yellow-green catkins are produced in April.

Designed to raise awareness of the work of the NSPCC, this garden’s design is a metaphor for the emotional transition that takes place in a child as they experience the positive impact of the NSPCC’s work

Tilia x europaea

Tom Stuart-Smith used a huge Tilia europaea in the Garfield Weston Foundation garden.

Tilia europaea is an impressive, fast growing tree which has a broad crown at maturity. It has fragrant yellow flowers that hang in cymes, whilst it’s lush green leaves turn a vivid yellow just before they fall in autumn. This is a tough tree, thriving on most soils, and is frost hardy. It is good for urban areas and is wind resistant.

Celebrating 60 years of the Garfield Weston Foundation, The Weston Garden is a private, enclosed and romantic space that emphasises the simplest and most enduring characteristics of a private garden

 

Trees specimen and semi mature
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Top Quality Containerised Trees /in , , , , /by

Top Quality Containerised Trees

Available for Planting Now

Comprehensive Range

Practicality Brown’s tree nursery specialises in large trees, both evergreen and deciduous. With a combination of home grown and outsourced specimen and semi mature trees, we offer a broad range which includes many native UK species; trees that are suitable all occasions.

Containerised Trees

We have an excellent selection of beautiful trees that are available in containers and are ready to plant now, ahead of the traditional root ball season. These trees are in girth sizes 20cm to 65cm, up to 8m high.

All our acclimatised containerised stock has been carefully tended to at our nursery to ensure it is ready for delivery in perfect condition. We continually monitor conditions to ensure that trees are in the peak condition for planting, paying close attention to bio security and plant health management.

From delicate Acers (Maples), fully feathered Magnolia grandiflora to pleached Quercus palustris (Pin Oaks) and classic English Yew, there is something on the list for everyone.

Magnolia grandiflora fully feathered

Magnolia grandiflora

Image of a Yew Taxus baccata 1.5m element

Yew Taxus baccata 1.5m elements

Quercus palustris Specimen tree

Pleached Pin Oak

The trees detailed on this list are those we currently have in stock at our nursery; the heights and girths reflect actual sizes of these individual trees. The availability can daily, so please call to confirm availability of particular stock.  All prices shown are ex vat and exclude delivery, please use our enquiry form to request a detailed quotation.

We would be delighted to see you at our nursery in Iver, Buckinghamshire; please make an appointment to ensure one of our team are available to show you around.  We are located near to M4, M25 and M40 junctions, about 6 miles from Heathrow Airport and 15 miles from London and just 1 mile from Iver Station, with trains from London Paddington.

We look forward to welcoming you onto our nursery soon.

Cherry laurel is a great screening tree
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Creating Privacy with Screening Trees /in , , /by

Screening Trees

Prunus laurocerasus Novita`

Privacy in your garden can be created using trees to hide or screen out an undesirable view; they can also be used to draw the eye to a specific feature.

Trees grown for this purpose often have a clear stem i.e. no leaves on the lower trunk; they reach up to fence panel height of around 1.8-2m with a full bushy canopy above, forming a good screen above the fence line. This type of screening is particularly useful if you are overlooked by neighbouring properties or would like to retain lower level exposure to an attractive wall or area.  Screening trees can be designed to create a focus point, perhaps to make the most of a feature.

 

Type of Privacy

It is a good idea to consider what you are aiming to screen out. For example are you directly overlooked by a neighbouring property, or would you like to filter out a large building or structure? Also consider the angle you are viewing from, as this may help choosing the right tree for your needs.

Practicality Brown’s semi-mature trees can be planted to achieve effective screening from the offset with evergreens being preferred for this purpose as they screen throughout the year.  However, a planting scheme that includes deciduous trees can provide rich contrast and seasonal interest.

 

Cherry Laurel

Prunus laurocerasus Novita close up

Prunus laurocerasus Novita, a dense evergreen tree, is popularly used for screening due to its upright and bushy habit and its

resilience to cold weather. In April small, fragrant, white flowers grow in vertical racemes about 12cm long which are followed by small glossy, black fruit.

We have semi-mature containerised Prunus laurocerasus Novita with a 1.8m clear-stem, available now.

The Cherry Laurel grows well in most soil and conditions, preferring moist slightly acidic soil.  Pruning in late spring to helps to retain its shape and encourages new growth.  If planting in a row, the optimum distance for the clear stem is with 1.2-1.5m spacing.

Trees from Practicality Brown

We can supply a range of top quality trees for decorative or screening, which are particularly useful to create privacy in your garden.   These include feathered trees that have full growth from the ground upwards and offer the same screening ability.  A mix planting of evergreen and deciduous trees, if space allows, can be an attractive solution.

We also have a range of pleached trees which can be used in the same way; pleached trees can be effective for a formal screen and where space is limited.

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Root-balled Trees and Transplanting /in , , , , /by

Bare root trees

Autumn heralds wonderful colours and falling leaves but for growers the cooler soils signify the ideal time to start transplanting trees and shrubs. Specimen trees, typically too large for containers, are systematically transplanted by skilled growers and root-balled with a compact root system, which enables trees to be re-located without stress or shock. This process continues into the winter when the trees are fully dormant making it perfect to transplant them.

Practicality Brown’s preferred growers throughout UK and Europe are now preparing and shipping  those trees selected and reserved during the summer, either to our nursery in Iver or direct to site to satisfy clients requirements.

These trees have their root system carefully enclosed and held in place with wire-wrapped hessian, which ensures the soil remains in contact with the roots throughout lifting, transportation and planting operations. Our root-ball trees have been prepared by being ‘undercut’ i.e. root pruned or transplanted several times (every 3 years for Deciduous and 4 years for Evergreen) to encourage the development of a fibrous root system.

The root ball season is now open; please call us to discuss your requirements. We can advise on preparation, planting and aftercare too.