I've never, in my life, heard anyone mention " hardiness zones" when talking about UK gardens. I always thought it a usa thing, given the size and diverse weather over there, it makes much more sense than for UK
The UK does have zones but they're on a smaller scale. Just compare parts of Cumbria with the highest rainfall per annum with parts of Essex that get as little rain as the Sahara. The east coast gets more bitterly cold, drying winds off the North Sea and Scandinavia and the Arctic than the whole of the west coast which gets warm wet winds off the Atlantic and the Gulf Stream.
Rowan trees come in several forms, are native, offer blossom, different berry colours and good foliage colour in spring and autumn so are great for gardeners and wildlife. I'd be wary of silver birch - get very tall, relatively short lived and shallow roots so unstable in strong winds and they suck up all the moisture around them and make underplanting difficult. Amelanchier is often suggested as a good small tree with a long season of interest.
Clay soils are best improved by piling on mulches of good, organic matter every autumn and leaving it for the worms and other soil organisms to work in over winter. Autumn is also the best time to plant trees and shrubs as the soil is relatively warm and there's plenty of rain to encourage root growth while the plant is other wise dormant. Then they are ready for the big spring growth surge.
Planting in spring or summer, even container grown specimens, means you have to take care to water regularly all thru the growing season to prevent stress.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Hi Shaunaamil. It’s a while since you originally posted, so I assume you’re pretty much settled now. However, as I live in Stourbridge, I thought I’d add my two pence worth 😀. Firstly, soil - I would presume that in Stourbridge you’ll have light sandy soil rather than the clay that has been suggested. There are some parts with heavier soil, but most areas are sandy.
Garden centres local to Stourbridge: Barnett Hill - not as good as it used to be, was privately owned but has passed through the hands of a few chains in last decade and seems to get worse at each change.
Webb’s (Hagley) - better than Barnett Hill and a little more expensive on average. Belongs to the much larger garden centre of the same name at Wychbold, Droitwich.
Ashwood Nurseries - slightly smaller than Webb’s (Hagley) and slightly more expensive. Privately owned and very good.
Clent Nurseries - another small and privately owned garden centre. Only used them a couple of times, but seem ok.
These are the garden centres I’ve used. There are others not too far away, including the Droitwich Webb’s of course and Hodgehill Nursery on the Hagley side of Kidderminster.
Posts
I always thought it a usa thing, given the size and diverse weather over there, it makes much more sense than for UK
Rowan trees come in several forms, are native, offer blossom, different berry colours and good foliage colour in spring and autumn so are great for gardeners and wildlife. I'd be wary of silver birch - get very tall, relatively short lived and shallow roots so unstable in strong winds and they suck up all the moisture around them and make underplanting difficult. Amelanchier is often suggested as a good small tree with a long season of interest.
Clay soils are best improved by piling on mulches of good, organic matter every autumn and leaving it for the worms and other soil organisms to work in over winter. Autumn is also the best time to plant trees and shrubs as the soil is relatively warm and there's plenty of rain to encourage root growth while the plant is other wise dormant. Then they are ready for the big spring growth surge.
Planting in spring or summer, even container grown specimens, means you have to take care to water regularly all thru the growing season to prevent stress.
Barnett Hill - not as good as it used to be, was privately owned but has passed through the hands of a few chains in last decade and seems to get worse at each change.
These are the garden centres I’ve used. There are others not too far away, including the Droitwich Webb’s of course and Hodgehill Nursery on the Hagley side of Kidderminster.