Dear Sibe,

I would be very grateful for a bit of advice regarding my garden. I have inherited a sparse garden with a few very neglected shrubs, one of which I have just removed as cutting back to a reasonable size would have left just trunks! I would like to plant a reasonably mature tree in the garden - the space is now approximately a metre from a small wall in a south east-facing situation. I would like a speciman tree with spring flower interest and winter colour - is there such a thing?

Also, I have some very horrible grey cement flagstones which I can't afford to replace yet. Can I disguise them in any way?

Thanks for your help,
Sarah

Our Gardening Expert replies:

Hello Sarah,

I note you have already completely removed one of the neglected shrubs but don't forget, however, that some shrubs can be pruned back this hard or even harder - down to a few inches above ground level - and will still re-grow. Still, it's always nice to have the opportunity to plant something new!

I assume your "small wall" is one such as would support a raised bed - maybe 18' (46cm) high? If you mean much higher than this then one metre away is really too close for a tree.

One tree that would suit your criteria of flowers in spring and colour in winter is Parrotia persica. This is in the Hamamelis family and has a somewhat shrub-like growth, but can be trained into a small tree on a couple of trunks if you wish. The winter interest is provided by the bark which has a attractive 'flaking away' appearance on older stems. This is better seen if some of the lower smaller branches are removed to expose the thicker stems. The flowers are not too showy, being clusters of crimson-coloured stamens which appear in late winter and early spring - though at that time of the year you would certainly notice them. This very attractive plant has the added bonus of gorgeous autumn colour as well! The leaves turn various tints of orange, red and yellow and is extremely attractive in autumnal sunshine.

If Parrotia does not suit your purpose you should certainly consider Prunus serrula. This has smallish white flowers which appear in late April, but its main attraction is its bark. This has the appearance of being highly polished - a very shiny mahogany colour which looks almost unbelievable in sunshine.

As for your flagstones, it's difficult to disguise these - all I can suggest is that you clean them up as best you can. They usually look better when the surface grime has been removed. You could also try lifting the odd one and replacing with some other material to add a bit of colour and interest. This could range from simply replacing with paving bricks in different patterns or even granite setts to add a bit of variation until you can resurface the whole area. A few pots of brightly coloured flowers will also draw attention away from the surface below!

Good luck,
Sibe