Seasonal Calendar ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� pages

Seasonal Calendar

January

Birch (Betula) bark can be brilliant white and smooth, or rich, dark and flaky. Willows (Salix) offer fresh yellow or red stems. Dogwood (Cornus) provide bright fiery reds and rich purples. Flowering cherry trees, such as Prunus serrula, display stunning, shiny red bark. Snakebark Maples have beautiful striped bark.

Winter

February

Corylus Contorta and Salix Golden Curls have architectural, twisted branches. Hamamelis flowers offer gorgeous yellows, oranges and reds, many highly scented. Clusters of yellow flowers will also appear on Cornus mas. Lovely catkins will adorn Hazel (Corylus), Birch (Betula) and Alder (Alnus). Some early Flowering Cherries (Prunus) bloom.

March

Flowering Cherries burst with colour, such as Beni-yutaka, Kursar, Okame, Frilly Frock and The Bride. The blossom of Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots and Almonds is also a spectacular sight. Magnolia begin to flower, especially earlier varieties such as ‘Honey Tulip’ and ‘Charles Raffill’.

July

The fruit of Cherry trees will start to ripen. Fresh leaves provide a huge range of colour, forms and textures to the garden: Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’, Acer ‘Crimson King’, Acer ‘Drummondii’, Acer ‘Princeton Gold’, Catalpa, Cotinus, Ginkgo and Gleditsia. Early plums such as Herman and River’s Early Prolific.

Summer

August

From August many fruit trees will begin to offer crop: Plum, Gages, Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Figs and early Apples. Mulberries will start fruiting as well as many soft fruit bushes such as Gooseberries, Blackcurrants and Redcurrants. Some ornamental trees will come into blossom such as Albizia and Hoheria.

September

Most dessert Apples and Pears ripen, as well as Asian Pears. Damsons, Mirabelles and later Plums. Many nut trees begin to produce a crop, including Hazels, Chestnuts, Walnuts and Almonds. For ornamentals Heptacodium miconioides is in it’s fully scented glory.

The extensive range of delicious fruit and beautiful ornamental trees we grow will give you lots of option for all season interest. Use this calendar as a guide to find the perfect tree for you!

April

Flowering Cherries (Prunus) add stunning blossom. Crab Apples (Malus) offer a fabulous choice of colourful blooms. Many Magnolia come into flower. Amelanchier trees display masses of pure white flowers, often against dark emerging leaves. The blossom of many fruit trees will also emerge, especially Apples and Pears.

Spring

May

Sorbus trees will show clusters of pink and white flowers. Hawthorns (Crataegus) flower along with Lilacs (Syringas) providing scented bunches of pink, purple and white. Ceanothus, Cercis (Redbud), Davidia (Handkerchief Tree), Wisteria and Aesculus (Chestnut) trees also flower at this time. Cornus kousa and florida display large bracts.

June

Sambucus (Elder) flowers in June, deep pink clusters of ‘Black Lace’ combined with delicate deep purple leaves. Some Cornus varieties can flower into June, depending on the season. Colourful foliage of many trees start to create fabulous canopies, such as Acer, Robinia, Tilia and Zelkova forms.

October

Trees with spectacular autumn colour will be most striking in October, these include Acer rubrums, Acer palmatums (Japanese Maples) Liquidambars, Euonymus, Sorbus, Nyssa, Parrotia, Quercus, Prunus, Hamamelis and Fagus. Fruit varieties to pick include later Apples, Medlars, Pears and Quinces.

Autumn

November

The berries of many trees ripen to provide winter food for birds: Sorbus, Crataegus and Cotoneaster. Many Crab Apples will hold onto their fruit until winter, such as ‘Red Sentinel’, ‘Gorgeous’ and ‘Jelly King’. Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ can show burst of flowers in mild weather.

December

Evergreen trees such as Hollies (Ilex) provide attractive leaves and bright berries. Yew (Taxus) make excellent specimens, hedging or topiary. Conifers such as Pinus, Picea and Abies come in many shapes and sizes, some naturally dwarf, others impressive specimens. The bark of Betula, Cornus and Salix brightens up the garden.