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Garden Corner: Amazing varieties of flowering trees

Flowering trees, part one
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Flowering trees, like this flowering crabapple, make a great addition to any garden. (Stock photo)

I’m surprised that I do not see more flowering trees planted in our local gardens considering there are so many amazing varieties that are readily available.

Any flowering tree has great curb appeal, they are aesthetically pleasing and when in bloom they attract bees, which is good for the environment and furthermore they add value to the property.

Homeowners should consider planting flowering trees whenever they can.

With building lots now getting much smaller, space often becomes a concern regarding planting trees. There are many smaller growing trees that will fit into most any garden.

These flowering trees are showstoppers and are considered to be small garden trees that are very easily incorporated into most of today’s smaller sub-division lots.

Toba Hawthorn is one of the hardier hawthorns. Flowering in the spring, the toba displays large, fragrant, double white flowers that turn to a lovely pink. It has shiny dark green leaves during the growing season, it bears small red fruit and has yellow-brown leaves in fall. The overall size is 10 to 20 feet. Paul’s scarlet hawthorn has stunning clusters of dark pink flowers, also very scented and blooms late spring and early summer. This lovely tree prefers a dry climate and is also drought tolerant.

Beautiful also are the many crabapple trees. Did you know that there are over 800 varieties on the market? My favourite is the royalty crabapple, one of the toughest, least complicated crabapples to grow. Great for a small garden. The Royalty grows to about 15 feet tall. The deep red/pink fragrant, never-fading flowers, rich plum leaves and sweet edible fruit make this the perfect small garden showpiece.

One amazing flowering tree that is seldom used is the redbud. The redbud forest pansy is the showstopper for sure with its rich pink flowers and its purple spring foliage turning to a lovely dark green in the summer. The redbud is considered a small garden tree, growing to a maximum of 30 feet high. Easy to grow and does well in sunny or partially shady locations.

There are many more remarkable flowering trees that I would like to share with you and will in my next article.

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Elke Lange is a landscape coach who can be found at Kel-lake Greenhouses or online at www.elkelandscapingcoach.com

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