Whether deciduous or evergreen, a tree remains a centerpiece in a garden, regardless of the space you have to devote to it. Majestic, the tree forms the backbone of the garden around which all the surrounding vegetation revolves. Graphic habit, colorful foliage, smooth flowering or amazing fruiting, worry-free find the one that suits you best, even if space is limited.
Before making your choice
A tree can live for tens or even hundreds of years if planted under favorable conditions in soil and a climate corresponding to it. Sufficient light and regular watering are a guarantee of success.
To ensure a good installation of the roots and, therefore, a good recovery of the subject, dig a hole two to three times wider than the root ball and of a depth equivalent to at least twice its height, which will be filled in with good soil. Garden with organic matter added. Then water abundantly to compact the soil and avoid air pockets. Finally, remember that planting a tree is best done in autumn or winter.
Isolated subjects
Choose an open location so that your tree is visible from several angles. Ideal for cutting the linearity of a lawn, subjects with beautiful bark are essential in the garden; a birch will create a beautiful contrast in winter thanks to its very white bark with silvery reflections. Choose a subject with low development, because this tree can still reach 25 meters in height at maturity depending on the species.
In cool soil and a sunny location, the golden bark of the Prunus maackii (Manchurian cherry) will sparkle like gold. It is adorned in spring with clusters of light, very fragrant white flowers. Its conical port gives it a beautiful appearance as an isolated subject on a lawn or a dam.
Textured, colorful or beautifully cut foliage
If the beauty of the foliage particularly touches you, a Salix integra “hakuro-Nishiki” will fill you with its juvenile leaves tinged with pink and white. Its weeping habit makes it an ideal subject planted in the middle of a lawn. Remember to prune it to induce the appearance of new shoots.
For its ability to survive the stress of pollution, Ginkgo biloba will be another option for city gardens; it already populated the planet 300 million years ago and continues to adorn the approaches to temples in Asia. Its green foliage with a unique fan-shaped cut changes in autumn, thanks to its golden hue, the full significance of its vernacular name: the tree with a thousand crowns. The variety of “tremonia” is ideal for small gardens because it maintains a very narrow habit.
For very sheltered gardens, think of Eucalyptus glaucescens: its juvenile, rounded, bluish-white leaves are very aromatic and diffuse a powerful fragrance in the hot summer heat. Its apetal flowers with many white stamens will arouse the curiosity of the neighborhood.
Spectacular blooms
The Judaea tree remains a must in dry and limestone terrain. Its dark pink flowers appear before the foliage that is sure to mark the arrival of spring.
Give a little Japanese air to your garden by installing an opulent flowering Japanese cherry tree. Very ornamental, it is ideal as an isolated subject on a lawn.
Think of the “crus-galli” hawthorn: a tree with curved needles adorned with a multitude of flowers in June, it will ensure a continuous spectacle: flowering, spherical fruiting followed by a bright red blaze of the foliage from the start. autumn… It only has advantages. Easy to grow, it grows in all soils.
For shady gardens
Indispensable for its ease of cultivation and the persistence of its prickly foliage, variegated according to the species, the holly, of very slow growth, can reach the dimensions of a tree with an erect habit of 6 meters in height at maturity. It will decorate the garden all year round with the beauty of its tough, shiny wavy foliage and the luster and opulence of its bright red berries in the fall.
In a pot on a terrace
In a well sheltered and sunny place, install an orange tree for the sweetness of its fragrance, or even a lemon tree. However, be careful because citrus fruits are not very rustic and will have to be brought in as soon as the cold weather starts. More rustic, a Hibiscus syriacus will delight you with its exotic blooming throughout the summer, while a dwarf lilac will distill its sweet spring scent into your home.
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