I wrote last month about welcoming spring colour into our gardens after the dry, cold winters we have had over the last two years. Well…our spring flowering trees come into flower at different times and this month I wanted to highlight some of the later spring, early summer flowering trees.
Ornamental cherry trees such as Mt Fuji (white) and Kanzan (pink) are two small, decorative trees. Crab apples have been spectacular around the district in the last couple of weeks. Ballerina Maypole with large, double dark pink flowers and Royal Raindrops with bright pink flowers followed by deep purple leaves are two distinctive crab apple cultivars, although I always find it hard to go past the Bechtel crab apple (Malus ioensis) which is late flowering and which looks great as the big, light pink flower buds emerge after the leaves are in place.
Dogwoods are in flower now too. The deep pink flowered form (Cornus Florida Rubra) is one that people always comment on at this time of year, but there are white flowering cultivars and also a semi evergreen dogwood called Himalayan Strawberry Tree (Cornus Capitata) which produces yellowish-white flowers in early summer.
Forest Pansy (Cercis Canadensis) is coming into flower in my garden now, small, pink flowers cover the branches, followed by heart shaped, purple leaves.
The old fashioned lilacs (Syringa Vulgaris) are also really pretty around the district now-with white, pink, blue and purple flowering cultivars.
Finally, one of my real favourites, the golden chain tree (Laburnum Vossii) is only just coming into leaf in my garden but the long, pendulous yellow pea like flowers that are almost wisteria like in the way they hang down from the branches will be spectacular in late spring, early summer.
By Ian Rogan
Milthorpe Garden Nursery