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Trees are woody perennial plants, usually with a single stem or trunk, and may grow to 90 m (300 ft) tall. Evergreen trees keep their leaves all year round while deciduous trees lose their leaves in winter. Shrubs are also woody perennial plants but produce several stems, which branch out from soil level. Most shrubs do not grow taller than 4.5—6 m (15—20 ft). Larger shrubs such as cotoneasters and lilacs (Syringa) can be grown as small trees. Subshrubs are plants that are woody only at the base, like Perovskia and Fuchsia, and which die back annually. They are often cultivated as herbaceous perennials. Trees and shrubs provide a good structural basis for a garden design and should be planted first before other plants. |
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TreesBoth conifers and deciduous trees grow in many different shapes and sees, (Conifers have distinctive shapes, regular branches and needle-shaped leaves. They can lie useful both as specimen trees and as hedging.
 Deciduous trees have an extremely varied range of leaf shapes and sizes and many can he chosen for the interest afforded by their branch shapes or by their bark in winter when the leaves have fallen. Many of the birch family have peeling bark of interesting colours.
Trees can introduce height and grandeur into the garden They are also useful for introducing contrasts in size and form with other plants. A tall columnar tree can make a punctuation mark in the environment, whereas a spreading tree offers a more sheltering and protective view. Their leaves are often very decorative, and vary greatly in effect, depending on their size, shape, colour, surface texture and the way they are held on the twig. Poplar leaves are held so that they shake and rustle as they move in the wind, making a sound like the sea.
Good specimen trees for large gardens include beech. All the beeches are beautiful, tall trees with smooth grey hark and fine foliage. The common heech tree is Fagus sylvatica, the weeping beech is Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula' and Fagus sylvatica 'Roseomarginata' is smaller than other beeches but still a big tree. |
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Striking foliage colour can he important but try not to overdo it. Yellow can look marvellous, especially when placed where the leaves catch the low sun in the morning or evening, but too much can be tiring to the eye. It is best to balance the foliage colours and not go for too many in a small area. Evergreens should be placed to create balance when the rest of the garden is dormant. Pines are best seen against the sky, where their interesting, trunk shapes will stand out.
Many of the maples are graceful and attractive. Snake bark varieties have good autumn foliage colour and very attractive trunks and branches.
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