Your Garden Questions Answered
Episode: #4 14/04/07
Presenter: Nigel Ruck
Nigel has had a couple of enquiries regarding ideas for trees to plant in small gardens. First of all it is important to choose a species suited to your environment that once established won’t need lots of pampering to look good.
A great way to do this and get ideas is to see what is doing well in other gardens close by and if you don’t know what something is, why not be a devil and knock on the door and ask. Alternatively, plenty of inspiration can be found at a good local nursery where you can also ask for advice.
A good local nursery will have a range of trees and you should be able to find something that matches your garden and the intended design.
For native gardens there are heaps of options and some of Nigel’s favourites include dwarf eucalypts, banksias and callistemons, also known as Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis cv.), which are not only drought hardy but also have the advantage of attracting birds to the garden.
For exotic feature trees, Citrus are great, as are Olives with the added culinary delights. Magnolias are phenomenal for flowers with evergreens like “Little Gem”, or the deciduous varieties. For a tropical feel, Frangipanis (Plumeria rubra) are hard to beat, just smell those perfumed flowers and let your mind wander.
There are plenty more suitable trees of course, but hopefully you have some ideas and again a walk around at a nursery is well worth doing. Planting trees is a great thing as they can be a real focal point and feature in the garden; they can give you shade and fruit and even bring in the birds. Above all, they are great for the environment.
Presenter: Nigel Ruck
Nigel has had a couple of enquiries regarding ideas for trees to plant in small gardens. First of all it is important to choose a species suited to your environment that once established won’t need lots of pampering to look good.
A great way to do this and get ideas is to see what is doing well in other gardens close by and if you don’t know what something is, why not be a devil and knock on the door and ask. Alternatively, plenty of inspiration can be found at a good local nursery where you can also ask for advice.
A good local nursery will have a range of trees and you should be able to find something that matches your garden and the intended design.
For native gardens there are heaps of options and some of Nigel’s favourites include dwarf eucalypts, banksias and callistemons, also known as Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis cv.), which are not only drought hardy but also have the advantage of attracting birds to the garden.
For exotic feature trees, Citrus are great, as are Olives with the added culinary delights. Magnolias are phenomenal for flowers with evergreens like “Little Gem”, or the deciduous varieties. For a tropical feel, Frangipanis (Plumeria rubra) are hard to beat, just smell those perfumed flowers and let your mind wander.
There are plenty more suitable trees of course, but hopefully you have some ideas and again a walk around at a nursery is well worth doing. Planting trees is a great thing as they can be a real focal point and feature in the garden; they can give you shade and fruit and even bring in the birds. Above all, they are great for the environment.
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