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Woody plants for small gardens. Pruning trees and shrubs in the garden

Before planting trees and bushes, make sure that you know their sizes when fully matured and also the recommended spacing for planting. From your house or neighbouring property you will need a distance of 3 - 4 m for trees with small crowns. With the consent of your neighbours, you can plant  a tree directly on the boundary to save space. Plant a tall shrub if you don't want a tree near your house.

When using shrubs you can create a colorful shrubbery,  create a outside boundary along your property, maybe even replace the fence or divide your garden into separate areas. Remember that indigenous trees and shrubs will also provide food and shelter for insects and birds. These bushes grow too vigorously for small gardens and it becomes almost necessary to replace them with adaptable foreign species. Obtain help and advise in this regard from garden catalogues or your local nursery. Use varieties with colorful foliage so that they are not easy to notice when in a group.

Planting trees

• Dig a big planting hole.

• Separate the topsoil from the subsoil.

• Use a garden fork to loosen the floor of the hole.

• Stick a support post into the hole.

• If the soil is very heavy or will be paved later on, lay a drainage pipe that emerge above the surface.

• Put the tree in the hole at the same depth as it was planted before. The grafting point for fruit trees must be 15cm above the ground.

• If these any wrapping around the rootstock, open it out.

• Replace subsoil and then topsoil and tread it down.

• Tie the tree to the support post and water well (40 liters water).

Conifers

In small gardens these prickly, evergreen trees are not suitable for providing shade. I don't think you would like to lie down under a spruce tree in your bathing suit. Deciduous trees create dappled shade and allow sunlight to penetrate during the winter whilst most moisture-loving conifers prefer mountainous regions. Conifer hedges will need a good pruning after some years, which can leave ugly scars. Deciduous trees, on the other hand, by cutting back regularly, can look stronger and even more beautiful. Use individual indigenous evergreens to live up the stand of trees and shrubs. The Yew (Taxus baccata) ,although it is toxic, is a great shade giver but should be avoided if you have small kids and domestic pets. Common juniper ( Juniperus communis) and pine (Pinus mugo ) are good evergreen companions for shrubs. Remember a collection of dwarf varieties does not make effective dividing elements in a garden and should be avoided.