5 Trees for Small Gardens

Trees are the linchpin of a design in many gardens. In small gardens, trees play an important role as their size, when mature, makes them a very obvious feature. All the more reason to make sure that you’re choosing the right tree for you and for your garden.

Suggestions for 5 trees for small gardens

Golden Elder

Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherlands gold’, or the golden elder. Grown for its vivid yellow gold foliage, this is a lovely small tree. The leaves are feathery, so the tree is decorative for many months.

The added benefits of white flowers in late spring / early summer and bright red elder berries in September means it just keeps giving.

Only growing to about 6-8 feet tall, it is definitely a tree for the flower borders of a small garden. The glowing foliage works well with purple flowered Erysimum bowles mauve and Verbena bonariensis.

Ornamental Cherry tree

Prunus incisa, the Fuji cherry is an ornamental cherry tree which blossoms early. It’s so glorious it needs no other plants around it at that time.

As it remains a small tree, there’s not the looming over the garden factor which can be an issue with some ornamental cherries in small gardens. The autumn leaf colour is spectacular too.

You could plant agapanthus underneath for summer interest, as they would be fine in the semi shade and are drought tolerant.

Olive tree

Old olive trees are loved for their knarled bark and impressive large trunks. As young trees, olives, Olea europea, make decorative trees in the southern half of the country. In northern areas a sheltered courtyard garden or south facing wall should see it through the winter. They are tougher than you might give them credit for, being of Mediterranean origin.

Olive trees look delightfully formal planted in a pot. As evergreen trees, their silvery foliage can be enjoyed year round and offer a backdrop for other planting as well as a stand-alone statement.

Bay tree

Like the Olive tree, the bay tree, Laurus nobilis, sweet bay, is an evergreen. Frequently found decorating porches, standing like sentinels on either side of a front door, they also make delightful trees for the rear garden. Especially as those leaves are an essential element of ‘bouquet garni’ that French mix of herbs which adds flavour to so many casseroles.

If you’re growing bay in the border rather than in a pot, you may need to keep it pruned. Left to itself, a bay tree will reach 23 feet or more – 40 foot is possible in sheltered areas.

Tree Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster ‘Rothschildianus’

This cotoneaster, also known as the tree cotoneaster, is different from your ‘usual’ wall shrub cotoneaster in its shape and size. And because it has yellow berries instead of red berries.

The leaves are long and oval shaped, so it is also referred to as the willow cotoneaster. It is a hybrid of Cotoneaster frigidus and Cotoneaster salicifolius and semi evergreen. Growing fairly quickly to its full height of 25 foot, it can be grown in a large pot if that is too big for your garden.

Definitely another show stopper – maybe one for your front garden if your rear garden has been filled with my other suggestions!

Caring for your 5 trees for small gardens

With the correct soil preparation and planting, once established, these trees are remarkably easy maintenance.

Prepare the planting hole with plenty of organic matter and rootgrow to aid establishment and a strong root system. Stake the tree for the first year or two if needed. They will need watering for the first couple of years, but after that their deep roots mean they can find their own water. Add a yearly top dressing of compost mulch to keep them fed.

If you are growing trees in containers perhaps because you’re wary of their eventual size, or because you only have a patio garden or terrace, you will need to give them more attention. Be vigilant in feeding and watering. Planting in the largest pot you can will help.

Trees are a vital part of the wider landscape. Growing trees in small gardens gives structure, height and shade. Planting your tree or trees as part of a mixed border planting design will give you colour, scent and fruit throughout the year.

Trees should be planted in you garden with an eye to the long term. Whilst they will undoubtedly give you pleasure from the time you plant them, whatever the age of my client when I’m planting trees, I’m reminded of my favourite quotes from Thomas Jefferson: –

“Too old to plant trees for my own gratification, I shall do it for my posterity”

and finally…

There are other tips and tricks, some of which can be found in other Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below, our monthly Tipsheet and regularly on Instagram and Facebook

Making your life easier and enabling you to enjoy your garden is part of what we discuss when we come to design your garden and give gardening lessons in your garden.