Home Gardener's Trees & Shrubs (UK Only) E-Book

David Squire

• Herausgeber: IMM Lifestyle Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Specialist Guide
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Seitenzahl: 214

Beschreibung

Home Gardener's Trees & Shrubs is the essential guide to selecting, planting, improving and maintaining trees and shrubs in the garden. No matter what the type of garden or outdoor space, trees and shrubs are usually featured. This is because they are so versatile. Depending on the species chosen, shrubs and trees can form the background to a garden, be a focal point or add height to an overlooked garden. Whatever your garden needs, a tree or shrub can provide it. This book details the basics of choosing, buying, planting, establishing and transplanting. A comprehensive plant directory has A-Z lists of species within different categories - seasons, color, size etc. The final section of the book looks at how to care for shrubs and trees, giving practical advice on how to prune and clip, and the pests, diseases and other problems to watch out for.

Leseprobe

Contents

Author’s foreword

GETTING STARTED

What are shrubs and trees?

Range of shrubs and trees

Using shrubs and trees

Choosing shrubs and trees

Planting and establishing shrubs and trees

Planting and establishing wall shrubs

Planting hedges and windbreaks

Transplanting shrubs and trees

PLANT DIRECTORY

Winter-flowering shrubs and trees

Spring-flowering shrubs and trees

Summer-flowering shrubs and trees

Autumn-coloured shrubs and trees

Coloured bark and stems

Evergreen shrubs

Large evergreen and deciduous conifers

Slow-growing and dwarf conifers

Wall shrubs

Berried shrubs and trees

Bamboos and palms

Hedges for boundaries

Internal hedges

USING SHRUBS AND TREES

Shrubs and trees in borders

Mixed borders

Growing shrubs and trees in containers

Growing shrubs against walls

Specimen trees in lawns

Trees as focal points

Shrubs and trees in small gardens

Colour throughout the year

Mediterranean gardens

The art of topiary

Hedges for all gardens

LOOKING AFTER SHRUBS AND TREES

Pruning shrubs and trees

Caring for hedges

Increasing shrubs and trees

Renovating shrubs and trees

Routine care of shrubs and trees

Pests and diseases

Glossary

Index

UK Edition

Copyright © 2005, 2016 text AG&G Books

The right of David Squire to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Copyright © 2005, 2016 illustrations and photographs IMM Lifestyle Books

Copyright © 2005, 2016 IMM Lifestyle Books

This book may not be reproduced, either in part or in its entirety, in any form, by any means, without written permission from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts for purposes of radio, television, or published review. All rights, including the right of translation, are reserved. Note: Be sure to familiarize yourself with manufacturer’s instructions for tools, equipment, and materials before beginning a project. Although all possible measures have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the material presented, neither the author nor the publisher is liable in case of misinterpretation of directions, misapplication, or typographical error.

Creative Homeowner® is a registered trademark of New Design Originals Corporation.

Designed and created for Creative Homeowner® by AG&G Books. Copyright © 2003 “Specialist” AG&G Books

Design: Glyn Bridgewater; Illustrations: Dawn Brend, Gill Bridgewater, Coral Mula, and Ann Winterbotham; Editor: Alison Copland; Photographs: see page 80

Current Printing (last digit)

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Printed in Singapore

Home Gardener’s Trees & Shrubs: Selecting, planting, improving and maintaining trees and shrubs in the garden is published by Creative Homeowner under license with IMM Lifestyle Books.

ISBN: 978-1-58011-774-6

Creative Homeowner®, www.creativehomeowner.com, is distributed exclusively in the United Kingdom by Grantham Book Service, Trent Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 7XQ.

Author’s foreword

Most gardens have several shrubs and a few trees and you may have inherited them with your garden or planted them when giving it a facelift. There are many shrubs and trees to choose from, and within this inspirational yet practical book we show their wide range, as well as ways to use them to improve and add style to your garden. Whether you want to add a colourfully leaved evergreen shrub to a border, perhaps to act as a beacon of interest throughout the year, or a tree that will create a focal point in a lawn, there are many shrubs and trees to capture your attention through their shape and colour.

For families with limited gardening time, shrubs and trees offer an easy way to a picturesque garden, although many shrubs need yearly pruning as well as regular check-ups. Looking after shrubs and trees is described in detail, as well as their selection and ways to plant them. Once bought and planted, trees and shrubs create the opportunity of thrifty gardening, but with later opportunities to position other plants around them to produce even more spectacular features.

This all-colour book guides novice gardeners through the ‘getting started’ stage, as well as adding ideas which experienced gardeners will find useful. If you admire shrubs and trees, this book is an essential part of your gardening library.

About the Author

David Squire has a lifetime’s experience with plants, both cultivated and native types. Throughout his gardening and journalistic careers, David has written more than 80 books on plants and gardening, including 14 books in this Specialist Guide series. He also has a wide interest in the uses of native plants, whether for eating and survival, or for their historical roles in medicine, folklore and customs.

HEIGHTS AND SPREADS

The heights and spreads indicated for plants throughout the Plant Directory (pages 18–48) are those 15–20 years after being planted in good soil and in ideal conditions. Where shrubs grow in the protection of a wall, their growth will be slightly more.

SEASONS

Throughout this book, advice is given about seasonal tasks. Because of global and even regional variations in climate and temperature, the four main seasons have been used, with each subdivided into ‘early’, ‘mid-’ and ‘late’ – for example, early spring, mid-spring and late spring. These 12 divisions of the year can be applied to the appropriate calendar months in your local area, if you find this helps.

Measurements

Both metric and imperial measurements are given in this book – for example, 1.8 m (6 ft).

What are shrubs and trees?

Shrubs and trees are woody plants that create long-term frameworks in gardens; shrubs live ten or more years and ornamental garden trees 20–50 years, and sometimes more. They are resilient plants, but require careful attention when planted and before fully established. Some shrubs need regular pruning to prevent an entanglement of old and unsightly stems, while trees require a yearly check to ensure that branches are safe.

Are shrubs and trees long-lived?

Shrubs create permanency in gardens. Here, the spiky Yucca, with creamy-white flowers, introduces a contrast in shape.

WHAT CAN SHRUBS AND TREES DO FOR A GARDEN?

Shrubs and trees are easy-care plants with many attractive qualities, including the following:

• Colourful flowers: many shrubs and trees create seasonal displays (see pages 18–27).

• Colourful leaves: both evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees have coloured leaves (see pages 32–39).

• Autumn-coloured leaves: some deciduous shrubs and trees have leaves that assume rich colours in autumn (see pages 28–29).

• Attractively shaped leaves: some leaves are whole and perhaps round or oval, and others are finely dissected (see pages 28–29 and 32–39).

• Coloured stems: a few shrubs, if pruned yearly, produce colourful stems throughout winter (see pages 30–31).

• Fragrant flowers and aromatic leaves: these qualities are much desired in gardens (see pages 56–61).

• Berries: many colours and shapes (see pages 42–43).

Elaeagnus pungens ‘Maculata’ has an evergreen nature.

Prunus ‘Kanzan’ is deciduous, with flowers in spring.

Pyracantha ‘Watereri’ is evergreen and ideal as a wall shrub.

What are wall shrubs?

Many shrubs will grow very successfully against walls, as well as in borders in a garden.

• Tender shrubs prefer the warmth of a sun- blessed wall, especially in cold and exposed areas where otherwise they would be severely damaged or even killed.

• Space-saving is important in gardens, and by planting a shrub against a wall it is possible to save border space. Additionally, wall shrubs are able to utilize narrow spaces between walls and paths.

EVERGREEN OR DECIDUOUS?

Shrubs and trees are usually either deciduous or evergreen, although some can exhibit both characteristics, depending on the climate.

• Evergreen shrubs and trees – these retain a canopy of leaves throughout the year, but regularly shed and replace some of them. Most conifers are evergreen.

• Deciduous trees and shrubs – these shed their leaves in autumn, and then create a fresh array in spring. A few conifers are deciduous.

• Semi-evergreen – some shrubs, such as Ligustrum vulgare (Common Privet), that are normally evergreen can lose all or some of their leaves during very cold winters.

Range of shrubs and trees

A visit to a garden centre or nursery – as well as a glance through nursery and mail-order plant catalogues – soon reveals a wide range of shrubs and trees offered for sale. There are also many attractive conifers, some with a bushy and ground-hugging nature, and others that have a tree-like habit and eventually form dramatic focal points. There are shrubs and trees for all gardens, whatever their size. They will enthral you throughout the year.

Is there a wide choice?

CAREFUL SELECTION

Apart from pre-buying checks (see pages 8–9), it is essential that a shrub or tree will not rapidly outgrow its allotted position.

• The expected heights and spreads of shrubs and trees recommended in the plant directory (pages 18–47) are those 15–20 years after being planted in good soil and in ideal conditions. In mild areas, faster growth can be expected, but in cold and exposed places slightly less.

• Do not buy a shrub or tree that will eventually be too large for your garden. Even radical pruning will not help and may result in an unattractive shrub or tree that will have to be removed.

FLOWERING WALL SHRUBS

Growing tender flowering shrubs is made possible by planting them against a wind-sheltered wall and in full sun. Some of these shrubs, such as evergreen Ceanothus, have clusters of small flowers, while others, like Fremontodendron californicum, develop large flowers. The bushy and scrambling Solanum crispum (Chilean Potato Tree), which needs a trellis against a wall, creates a mass of purple-blue, star-shaped flowers with prominent yellow anthers during much of summer.

Evergreen shrubs

Flowers are attractive although invariably transient in their display, but the foliage of evergreen shrubs creates a display throughout the year. Some have the bonus of flowers, but even without this attribute they are attractive. Some, such as Elaeagnus pungens ‘Maculata’, have variegated leaves that drench borders in colour. Others are lower-growing and often carpet the soil in colourful leaves that help prevent the growth of weeds.

Illustration features Choisya ternata.

Attractive bark and stems

Trees with coloured bark, as well as shrubs with attractive stems, are very much welcome in winter and spring. Some are ideal on their own, such as Acer griseum (Paperbark Tree) and perhaps planted in a lawn. Others, like Betula pendula (Silver Birch), are superb when planted in a group and with small bulbous plants such as spring-flowering crocuses naturalized around them.

Illustration features Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’.

Summer-flowering shrubs and trees

These are many and varied, with displays from single flowers to those massed on stems and forming plumes or balls. A few of these shrubs, such as Philadelphus (Mock Orange), have highly fragrant flowers and these are best positioned near to paths or edges of borders. Some summer-flowering shrubs have a low habit, while others like the renowned Kolkwitzia amabilis (Beauty Bush) grow up to 3 m (10 ft).

Illustration features Brachyglottis ‘Sunshine’ (also known as Senecio ‘Sunshine’).

Spring-flowering shrubs and trees

These create a wealth of colour; some are dramatic and bold, others demure and reserved. Some shrubs form a display packed with many small, separate flowers; others such as Magnolia stellata (Star Magnolia) have large and dominant flowers. Some spring-flowering shrubs need regular pruning – but not all. Forsythia, for example, needs yearly pruning to encourage the development of further flowering stems, whereas Ulex europaeus ‘Flore Pleno’ (Double-flowered Gorse) needs no regular pruning.

Illustration features an Azalea.

Evergreen and deciduous conifers

Some conifers are so large that they cannot be considered for planting in gardens, but fortunately many are suitable and are ideal as focal points. Most conifers are evergreen and those with coloured foliage are attractive throughout the year. Others are deciduous, with several having coloured leaves in autumn. A few deciduous conifers – such as Larix decidua (European Larch) – have beautiful young leaves in spring.

Illustration features Cedrus deodara.

Autumn colour

Autumn-coloured shrubs and trees are stunningly attractive, with leaves that reveal rich tints and shades before falling. When the weather is dry in autumn and a frost rapidly stops growth, the colours are rich and dramatic. Shrubs with magnificent colouring include Rhus typhina (Stag’s Horn Sumach), with leaves that assume rich orange-red, purple and yellow tints. Trees include Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum) with rich orange and scarlet leaves.

Illustration features Rhus typhina.

Winter-flowering trees and shrubs

Winter-flowering shrubs and trees are highly prized for their ability to bring colour to a season often considered bare and bleak. They range from ground-hugging shrubs to trees 1.8 m (6 ft) or more high. Position them where they can be readily admired, perhaps at the junctions of paths or as focal points further into a garden. They need little pruning.

Illustration features Hamamelis mollis.

Bamboos

Bamboos have stiff, hollow stems known as canes. They are usually planted in borders, side by side with shrubs and other plants; they also form attractive screens and hedges. Some create ground cover on banks and alongside rustic paths, while others stabilize steep banks. Many can be planted in containers on a patio or terrace, while they are essential parts of Japanese gardens – either planted in the soil or in containers.

Illustration features Pleioblastus viridistriatus.

Slow-growing and dwarf conifers

Many evergreen conifers remain dwarf throughout their lives, while slow-growing types planted when young are moved when they become too dominant. Dwarf ones are ideal for planting in rock gardens, and slow-growing types in heather gardens. Both slow-growing and dwarf conifers can be planted in containers when young and later planted into a garden.

Illustration features Juniperus communis ‘Depressa Aurea’.

Shrubs and trees with berries and fruits

Berries and fruits introduce colour into gardens, especially in autumn, while some persist through to late winter. Botanically, berries are fleshy or succulent fruits and contain a number of seeds. To gardeners, the difference is usually of no matter. Birds, however, are usually more tempted by fruits than berries. Nevertheless, few berries escape the attention of birds, especially during long, cold winters.

Illustration features Mahonia japonica.

GROUND-COVER SHRUBS

In addition to tall and dominant shrubs, some are superb at carpeting the ground with colourful leaves and, perhaps, flowers. Shrubs to consider include:

• Calluna vulgaris: there are many varieties to choose from, all with colourful foliage and flowers.

• Euonymus fortunei: there are several colourful varieties, with variegated, evergreen leaves.

• Potentilla fruticosa: this shrubby, deciduous shrub has massed stems and flowers throughout much of summer.

BERRIED WALL SHRUBS

Several shrubs with berries are superb when planted against a wall. Cotoneaster horizontalis (Herringbone Cotoneaster) has an aptitude for spreading horizontally as well as up walls. Pyracanthas are other ideal berried wall shrubs.

PALMS

Most palms are of tropical or subtropical origin. In temperate climates, unfortunately, there are only a few that are reliable outdoors – and even then in mild areas. Nevertheless, they are dramatic plants and introduce a Mediterranean aura to gardens. Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan Palm) is the hardiest palm for growing in temperate climates.

Using shrubs and trees

Shrubs and trees are permanent, living parts of gardens and can be used in many ways. These encompass shrub and mixed borders, as hedges, windbreaks and focal points towards the end of a garden. They can also be planted as specimen trees in lawns, shaped into topiary figures and planted in containers. Shrubs and trees are versatile plants and create major, long-term features, throughout the year and for many years.

How can I use shrubs and trees?

PLANTING SHRUBS AND TREES

The time to plant shrubs and trees depends on whether they are container-grown, bare-rooted or balled. Additionally, whether they are evergreen or deciduous influences their planting. For detailed planting information, see pages 10–11.

TRANSPLANTING SHRUBS & TREES

There sometimes comes a stage in a garden’s development when a shrub or tree needs to be moved. Occasionally it is better to buy a new plant but, where moving a shrub or tree is desired, see pages 16–17. Incidentally, if, when moving to a new house and garden you intend to dig up and take a plant with you, inform the new residents about your plans.

STOOLING

Stooling is an ancient woodland craft, involving cutting down shrubs and trees to encourage young shoots to develop around their base. Willow trees, for example, were cut back every winter to produce thin stems used in the making of baskets. The same technique is now used to encourage some shrubs to produce colourful stems (see page 67).

Mixed borders

Mixed borders, with their medleys of different plants – from shrubs and small trees to herbaceous perennials, bulbs and annuals – are the most popular borders in gardens. Because of their wide range of plants they are able to create interest throughout the year. For example, the winter-flowering Hamamelis mollis (Chinese Witch Hazel), with its golden-yellow, spider-like flowers, creates colour when most other plants are dormant and has the bonus of coloured leaves in autumn. At times when this shrub is not creating an attractive display, herbaceous, tuberous and bulbous plants provide colour.

Wall shrubs

Wall shrubs are ideal for clothing walls in colour and are especially useful in small gardens. Narrow borders between walls and paths can be planted with a wide range of wall shrubs, most of which benefit from shelter and warmth. Wall shrubs are not natural climbers and need to be pruned and shaped to enable them to blanket walls with flowers and leaves – and, perhaps, berries. Therefore, either a wooden trellis or a framework of wires secured to a wall is essential to give them stability throughout the year. If this support is neglected, strong wind or heavy snowfalls may dislodge them.

Shrubs in containers

Shrubs in containers create highly attractive features and have a wide range of flowers and leaves, some evergreen. The containers – encompassing tubs, large pots and Versailles planters – can be positioned on patios, terraces and around houses. Additionally, they can be used in pairs to highlight the edges of entrances and windows. They are also excellent as defining features for the tops and bases of flights of steps. They can also be positioned to direct foot traffic.

Hedges

Hedges have many useful roles in gardens including – when planted as a boundary – the creation of privacy, reduction of road noise and preventing the entry of animals. Hedges also create attractive backgrounds for border plants and in earlier years were specially selected for colour-themed herbaceous borders. Internal and diminutive hedges, such as those formed of Lavandula (Lavender), are ideal for edging paths, while Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’ (Dwarf Edging Box) is at its best in parterre gardens and with the more popular knot gardens, where the continuous interlacing of miniature hedges was an expression of an unchanging world.

Windbreaks

Windbreaks help to create a plant-friendly garden, where strong and cold winds are not too much of a problem. Position the windbreak – formed of hardy evergreen conifers or deciduous trees – on the windward side of your garden. The influence of a windbreak – or a hedge – depends on its height. Where a windbreak is 6 m (20 ft) high, you can expect it to reduce the wind’s speed by 65 per cent at a distance of five times its height, but by only 15 per cent at a distance of 20 times its height.

Specimen trees

Specimen trees planted in lawns help to give interest to a large area, as well as creating focal points of interest. Specimen trees range from the superb Amelanchier lamarckii (Snowy Mespilus or June Berry), with a profusion of white, star-like flowers in spring, to the leafy and deciduous Acer platanoides ‘Drummondii’, with distinctive white edges to bright green leaves.

Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ (Weeping Pear) is another superb specimen tree for planting in a lawn and, if planted in a round bed slightly larger than its weeping span, it can be highlighted by blue-flowered bulbs.

Topiary

Topiary is a popular way to grow and shape leafy shrubs and trees, and is a craft with a heritage that can be traced back more than 2,000 years. It is the art of shaping trees by frequently clipping and training them. Clipped Buxus (Box) was used during the first century AD to depict hunting scenes and ships, as well as to define names. Nowadays, topiary is usually devoted to creating simple shapes such as cones and spheres, as well as animals and birds, which were popular in cottage gardens. Such features never fail to draw attention.

Shrub borders

Shrub borders were traditional parts of large gardens, where borders were planted solely with shrubs that would create magnificent flower and leaf displays throughout the year. Nowadays, few gardens are large enough to have a single-theme feature and invariably shrubs are either combined with border perennials in ‘mixed’ borders or planted in small groups, alongside paths or in beds and corners. Rather than planting shrubs that are renowned just for their flowers, to extend the period of interest choose a medley of flowering and foliage types. Evergreen shrubs create colour throughout the year and many of them are featured on pages 32–35. Some are solely green, while others are variegated. Shrub borders can be given some added colour by replanting Daffodil bulbs (which earlier flowered indoors) between the shrubs.

PLEACHING

Pleaching is the creation of a hedge on stilts! The technique dates back several centuries, with lateral branches trained and pruned to form an interlaced screen. Traditionally, Tilia x europaea (European Lime) was used, but it attracts greenfly (aphids) and results in sticky honeydew falling and covering the ground. An alternative is Tilia x euchlora (Caucasian Lime), as well as Carpinus (Hornbeam) and Fagus (Beech). Wisteria, with its bonus of fragrant and colourful flowers, is another possibility. Plant trees 2.4–3 m (8–10 ft) apart, in two rows with 3.6–4.5 m (12–15 ft) between them. When trees have grown 3–3.6 m (10–12 ft) high, cut off the lower branches and train the upper ones along strong, lateral wires. Prune the framework of branches in autumn or winter. Summer pruning is also essential for Wisteria.

Choosing shrubs and trees

Look to your local greenhouse supply companies to determine the best time of year to plant new trees. It’s in their best interest to give you advice that will ensure your tree-growing success. Generally they will sell trees in containers, with the roots balled in hessian, or as bare root trees. Each has advantages and disadvantages and may determine when you should plant.

Can I buy a shrub or tree at any time?

ADVANTAGES OF CONTAINER-GROWN SHRUBS

• Plants grown and sold in containers receive less of a check to their growth when planted than if ‘bare-rooted’, ‘balled’ or wrapped in polythene.

• Container-grown shrubs can be planted when the soil is workable. However, spring and early summer are the best planting times because this enables tender plants to become established before the onset of winter.

• Shrubs can be carefully inspected before they are bought. This often makes the purchase more personal to you, especially if it is to be given as a present to a friend.

• Poor-quality plants can be rejected.

ADVANTAGES OF BARE-ROOTED SHRUBS AND TREES

• Because they are grown in nursery beds, their roots are not constricted in small containers. Relatively small plants do not suffer when grown and sold in containers, but the roots of large trees invariably become contorted and take longer to become established when transplanted.

• Rarer and more unusual species and varieties of trees and shrubs are not always sold as container-grown plants, but are available as bare-rooted types from specialist nurseries.

• When comparing like for like, bare-rooted shrubs and trees are usually slightly cheaper than container-grown types.

HOW PLANTS ARE SOLD

Container-grown

Plants established and growing in a container – may be evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees (for what to look for when buying, see opposite page).

Balled

Mainly conifers or small evergreen shrubs with hessian tightly wrapped around the rootball. They are usually sold during late summer and early autumn, or in spring.

Bare-rooted

Deciduous shrubs or trees dug up from a nursery bed in winter, when bare of leaves (for what to look for when buying, see opposite page).

Wrapped in plastic

During their dormant period, deciduous shrubs, including roses, can often be bought wrapped in plastic. They are frequently sold through mail-order companies.

Where to buy

Always purchase shrubs and trees from reputable sources, as you will want to be assured about the plant’s health, as well as it being correctly labelled. Apart from garden centres, nurseries and by mail order, there are other plant sources. Local shops and stalls in markets are possibilities – but always thoroughly inspect the plants.

Garden centres

Garden centres mainly sell container-grown plants and therefore it is essential to visit them in a car, although some centres offer a delivery service. Check out the garden centre as well as plants (see right); if it looks neglected and radiates little pride, this may be reflected in the quality of the plants.

Nurseries

Nurseries offer bare-rooted as well as container-grown plants. Container-grown types are available throughout the year, bare-rooted ones in winter. They can be collected, or arrangements made for their delivery. Some nurseries specialize in specific plants and it may mean a long journey or buying the plant through a catalogue.

Mail order