How Do You Choose The Right Tree For Your Garden?

Trees are the living structures of the garden that most likely will be the longest-lived element in your garden, they will give the garden height, shade, permanence and as they grow older the trees will give the garden character and a sense of age. If you make an informed decision in the beginning, you will select the correct species for your garden and then have the pleasure of watching the tree grow and know that you have done a small part to improve your local environment.

The factors you need to consider when you are selecting a tree:

SIZE
The height and width of the canopy that the tree will reach at maturity needs to be considered. This size will allow you to imagine the space that the tree will spread over once grown.

SHAPE OR HABIT
The expected shape the tree will grow to form, with the height and width dimension will give you an idea of what the actual silhouette of the tree will be.

QUALITY OF STOCK
Make sure you have a healthy specimen to start with. Check stock for good structure, straight trunks, strong branch attachments, no structural defects or pests and diseases.

MAINTENANCE
All trees will need varying levels of maintenance throughout their life. Watering, fertilising, mulching and formative pruning will be needed. The levels of this maintenance will vary between species.

FLOWERING OR FRUITING
While the flowering and fruiting of most trees is ornamentally a great asset, it can also be a maintenance issue if there are pathways, driveways or pools near the tree.

LIFE SPAN
The expected life span of the tree will allow you to design and manage your garden appropriately.

If all of these elements are considered your trees will grow, thrive and survive the test of time.

• Topics:

• Gardening