I live in apple country where the hillside orchards are a fabulous sight in late April and early May with thousands of apple trees in bloom. At home, we can enjoy a similarly luxurious spring bloom display in the garden thanks to the crabapples.
Sadly, the crabapples are a much maligned group. We all know of at least one nuisance crabapple tree that dropped fruit all over, attracted bees and was denuded by disease and caterpillars every summer. Fortunately, there are newer better selections available today.
The trees are typically loaded with blooms to the point of hiding the foliage. Flowers may be single or double and the colors range from white to palest pink to deep pink, often with some enchanting changeability between the color of the flower bud and that of the opened blossom itself. Some are deliciously fragrant and some offer excellent fall color along with a selection of sizes and colors of fruit ranging from red to gold and even bicolors; some trees even hold their fruit and are virtually mess free.
Best of all, each named variety is quite predictable in size and shape so that the gardener can usually find one well suited to the available space, be it diminutive or generously proportioned.
There are certainly many more trees, some of them unusual, to consider using in the garden. But you are likely to be able to find most of the ones I have mentioned here in local garden centers and nurseries. If you decide to plant a tree, do make sure it is suited to the growing conditions and that there is enough room for it to reach maturity without crowding.
Enjoy!
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Barbara M. Martin's Cottage Garden topic, please visit the Discussions page.