IN THE GARDEN: Think pink with beautiful cherry blossom varieties

Early Flowering Prunus

One sure sign of Spring is a flowering cherry tree in May, however most people are not aware that there are plenty of flowering Prunus or cherry trees that flower much earlier in the season. In fact Prunus subhirtella Autumnalis flowers from late autumn to early spring, its pretty white blossom defying the harsh winter elements and stunning against a blue winter sky. Its cultivar P.s. Autumnalis Rosea has dark pink buds opening to pale pink flowers. Both make ideal specimen trees for small gardens, with their bronze green spring foliage and reliable orange and yellow autumn colour before the flowering season. Furthermore, summer flowering Clematis, or less vigorous climbing roses can be grown up through the tree to give summer colour. These Prunus are much longer lived than most ornamental cherries and are easily grown in most soils in a sunny situation.

Another elegant and understated early flowering cherry is Prunus Kursar, which may start blooming as early as February in mild spots. Again, making a small specimen tree with lovely orange red autumn foliage colour and clusters of strong pink flowers in early spring I would plant this tree any day ahead of some of the more showy double May flowering varieties such as P. Kanzan, and P. Amanogawa.

However Prunus mume, is without doubt my favourite winter flowering Prunus. It is actually an ornamental apricot rather than cherry and has the most exquisite open pink flowers with prominent stamens and releases a sweet vanilla or almond like fragrance particularly on warm days. I grow Prunus mume Beni-chidori against the wall in the Japanese garden, training the branches horizontally which encourages all the flowers to open in the same direction towards the sun. They are occasionally followed by edible but bitter yellow fruits.

All the above varieties can be seen flowering at Green Island Gardens, Ardleigh. For further information visit www.greenislandgardens.co.uk