Aladdin, you might consider a Kilmarnock willow. It's a weeping willow top grafted on a stem about 5' tall, like a waterfall over an umbrella. A very pretty and japanesy-looking tree, but you have to give it a haircut every year or it grows obstreperous and trails on the ground. However, it's so low that's not hard. Just don't plant it too close to walls or drains, because the willow roots wriggle right into any water round about, as my mother discovered - she had to have her drains re-dug to get the blockage hacked out!
Thanks Frances, that sounds a great idea...love the description "like a waterfall over an umbrella." I'm running a dry river bed through the gravel and it will fit in really nice.
Aladdin, maybe I should have said to leave room for a Kilmarnock willow. It's fairly narrow at first, but spreads sideways year by year. After 6 years mine was about 6' wide.
Hi Frances, i was wondering how wide it would get, though i expect a light prune would keep it fairly slim. Come to think of it...i could do with a light prune myself after Christmas
I don't know if you could prune it to keep it slim. The new branches shoot up and down and out before bending down to earth in that elegant way. If you cut off all the 'out' bits, you might end up with a tree like a walking stick or a toilet brush. Maybe you could cut off the underneath sprouts and branches to ease it up more than out - I dunno. Best of luck anyway!
I have grown Acer Brilliantissima and Sorbus Cashmiriana in a very small garden. Both slow growers. The acer goes thro salmon pink, to yellow, then green leaf changes. The sorbus ends up with large display of white waxen berries in Autumn. Highly recommend !
I dont know if you have picked one yet, but we have a Norwegian maple in our very small urban garden. When the leaves are new, it positively glows. Only downside is it starts shedding its leaves early. I'm not sure of the name, but ours has (lightly) varigated leaves, and in 20yrs it's probably 15ft tall.
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Aladdin, you might consider a Kilmarnock willow. It's a weeping willow top grafted on a stem about 5' tall, like a waterfall over an umbrella. A very pretty and japanesy-looking tree, but you have to give it a haircut every year or it grows obstreperous and trails on the ground. However, it's so low that's not hard. Just don't plant it too close to walls or drains, because the willow roots wriggle right into any water round about, as my mother discovered - she had to have her drains re-dug to get the blockage hacked out!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Aladdin, maybe I should have said to leave room for a Kilmarnock willow. It's fairly narrow at first, but spreads sideways year by year. After 6 years mine was about 6' wide.
I don't know if you could prune it to keep it slim. The new branches shoot up and down and out before bending down to earth in that elegant way. If you cut off all the 'out' bits, you might end up with a tree like a walking stick or a toilet brush. Maybe you could cut off the underneath sprouts and branches to ease it up more than out - I dunno. Best of luck anyway!
There is a really keen offer being run by Hayloft at the moment for Bare Root trees. This includes triple up offer for 50p more than a single price. It came through on a recent email I had. http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/features/structural/trees-for-small-gardens/1116.html
I have grown Acer Brilliantissima and Sorbus Cashmiriana in a very small garden. Both slow growers. The acer goes thro salmon pink, to yellow, then green leaf changes. The sorbus ends up with large display of white waxen berries in Autumn. Highly recommend !
I dont know if you have picked one yet, but we have a Norwegian maple in our very small urban garden. When the leaves are new, it positively glows. Only downside is it starts shedding its leaves early. I'm not sure of the name, but ours has (lightly) varigated leaves, and in 20yrs it's probably 15ft tall.