Better Homes & Gardens Parker Hall Tree Bench

When choosing trees for small gardens, the key is to go for varieties which are both slow growing and small, says multi-award-winning landscape designer, Joe Perkins.

Joe – who won a Gold Medal, Best in Category and Best Construction at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 for his garden, 'Beyond the Screen' sponsored by Facebook – talks us through the garden trees perfect for compact outdoor spaces, including the best small garden tree for spring and autumn colour and the top pick for wildlife-conscious gardeners.

When it comes to smaller gardens, there's a whole array of lovely trees to choose from. But that simple fact also means when it comes to selecting the best one for you, you're probably a little too spoilt for choice. To select one for a design project, I start by focusing on what the tree is for and what the existing conditions of the garden are like.

For example, is autumn colour a priority? Or is year-round screening a necessity? Perhaps wildlife is at the forefront of your gardening agenda? The most vital question to weigh up is how much space is available for the tree to grow without it becoming a nuisance or looking completely out of scale with its surroundings.

All too many times I've visited potential clients and been confronted by an enormous weeping willow for instance; beautiful but overpowering. The same applies to any number of larger conifers (let's not mention Leylandii...) and even silver birch.

So, when selecting trees for small gardens, I go for species and varieties which are both slow growing and small...

1. Snowy Mespilus / Amelanchier lamarckii

One of the most attractive characteristics of this lovely plant is that it casts very light shade due to its leaf structure. Instead of completely blocking light from a small space, it allows sunbeams to beautifully trickle in. Spring blossom and autumn colour make this tree a well-known favourite among gardeners everywhere. It will reach around eight metres tall, spreading over four metres or so.

Amelanchier lamarckii

Iva Vagnerova Getty Images

2. Parrotia persica

Persian Ironwood makes a beautiful multi-stemmed tree and, according to the Royal Horticultural Society, will attain four to eight metres with an equal spread. However, it is slow-growing and can be pruned to shape, meaning the width can be controlled quite easily. This makes it ideal for tailoring it perfectly to your outdoor space. It offers the most brilliant autumn colour and will create a real talking point in the garden.

Persian Ironwood

Whiteway Getty Images

3. Crab apples

There are many flowering crab apple trees which are perfect for wildlife-conscious gardeners who only have a small space to work with. Malus Toringo is a small Japanese crab with a semi-weeping habit. It blooms with white flowers followed by small red, and sometimes, yellow fruit; it also copes well with heavy soil come the winter.

Malus Toringo

3quarks Getty Images

Fruits of the Malus Toringo

RobertSchneider Getty Images

Malus trilobata, originating from the eastern Mediterranean, has an upright habit. It can grow up to six metres tall after 25 years but with a spread of only three metres. It also blooms with white flowers and maple-shaped leaves, which turn a stunning deep red going into the autumn which, aesthetically, makes it perfect for small garden spaces.

4. Acers

No account of small trees would be complete without mentioning delicately beautiful Acers. The Amur maple, or Acer ginnala as it's also referred to, is a medium tree between seven to 10 metres tall. It's one of the best for vibrant autumn colour and is also quick to come into leaf in the spring months.

Acer buergerianum is the Trident maple. It's another very pretty medium tree which can reach around 10 metres and is also more robust than our previous Acer ginnala, tolerating temperature drops of around -25 Celsius. Although they're larger than the Japanese maples, these two are slow growing and should take around 20 years to reach full size.

Acer buergerianum

Joe Perkins

5. Autumnalis Rosea

My personal favourite, the Autumnalis Rosea has to be my favourite cherry. This winter-flowering tree blooms with small pink flowers which open intermittently from November through to April. Just glancing at this beauty cheers you up on some of the dullest winter days. It only reaches about five metres with a four-metre spread and will sit comfortably into the smallest of spaces.

Autumnalis Rosea

Steffen Hauser / botanikfoto / Alamy Stock Photo

There are many other trees of course, too many to name here. The most important thing is to do your research and choose a tree that will remind you why you chose it and that will reward you in years to come. Trees, after all, are an investment in time.

Small garden trees: shop now

Amelanchier lamarckii

Snowy Mespilus

Autumnalis Rosea

Prunus x sub Autumnalis Rosea

Acer ginnala

Acer ginnala Plant - Bailey Compact

Malus Toringo

Malus 'Toringo Scarlett

Persian Ironwood

5ft 'Bella' Persian Ironwood Tree

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Joe Perkins Landscape Designer Joe Perkins is a multi-award-winning landscape designer, achieving an unprecedented Gold Medal, Best in Category and Best Construction at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 for his garden 'Beyond the Screen' sponsored by Facebook.

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