WE ARE fortunate as a gardening nation to enjoy the legacy of countless generations of plant breeders who have nurtured, bred and introduced so many plants that the list is vast, writes TOM ATTWOOD. When it comes to trees the choice is excellent but sometimes finding your chosen one is not always straightforward. The situation is infinitely easier now that the internet brings every major grower of trees to your fingertips after a few simple searches online. This week I want to select a handful of trees that are suited for the smaller garden. As with many aspects of my work I can be guilty of assuming that people have generous space at home when in fact the limitations of a small plot dictate the need for something relatively compact. Here are four excellent ornamental trees for a small Cumbrian garden.

First, Malus ‘Red Sentinel,’ which is a crab apple that produces every season a large crop of cherry sized crab apples that turn the most astonishing shade of red and are so hard that the birds can only get to them once we’re into January. Good autumn colour and good pace of growth.

Betula utilis ‘Snowqueen,’ which are the jewel in the crown of a winter garden and even during the spring and summer have a beauty and presence that cannot be matched. The luminous qualities of the white bark are not to be missed. It is an elegant slender tree with golden autumn colouring to the leaves.

Also, Sorbus aucuparia or ‘Fastigiata.’ This is a slow growing elegant tree, a good all-round performer with masses of flowers produced in the spring followed by clusters of dark red berries in the autumn with a fiery range of tones to the leaves in the autumn. Good tolerance of pollution.

Last of my four suggestions, Pyrus salicifolia or ‘Pendula.’ The ornamental weeping pear is a tree I use time and time again. Left to it’s own devices this forms a graceful mound with striking silver leaves. It can also be trained and shaped with a clear trunk and a canopy above. Something akin to an umbrella. Fast growing and tolerant of a windy site.

Next week: building a retaining wall