Winter is a great time to re-assess the large shrubs and trees in your garden. Many may have outgrown their space, allocated to them a good 20 years ago or more! I know it can be hard to be impartial about trees and shrubs you have enjoyed and nurtured over the years, but it’s my job to make these difficult decisions a little easier for you. I always try and replace any tree removal with a new and better one within the overall planting scheme – maybe one with stunning winter foliage, beautiful spring blossom, or a multi-stem canopy form. So often clients thank me for re-introducing light into a room, or indeed changing a view dramatically through the removal of a visitor who has out stayed their welcome! Now is the time to carry out such work and prepare the space for new planting.
Some of my favourite trees to work with are Sorbus aria ‘Lutescens’ for its light and silvery foliage and tidy form, Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ for it’s wonderful blossom and autumn colour, and Cercis Canadensis for its stunning burgundy foliage and impressive cerise pink flowers held on bare stems.
So, when you think you can’t bear to lose a tree, think instead of the wonderful new home you will be giving to a young one, and all the possibilities that comes with it.
