Native Trees.

[bluemoon]

I've thought about popping a couple of native trees in our small garden. Little else survives due to the attentions of the dog, but I could rig up some sort of temporary fencing to protect them until they are established. I thought about a silver birch (my favourite tree) and a rowan. Does anyone know of a good mail order nursery? And would these trees be suitable for a small, urban garden?

[Alice]

How small is small Bluemoon. Silver Birch can get pretty big and might be too big for a small garden. Rowan can get up to 30' but I'm sure you can now buy small varieties.
Cotoneaster make nice small trees and do great berries and Laburnum doesn't get too big. Sumach is a lovely small tree with fabulous autumn colour but some people find it suckers. Hope you find something nice.

[Gwen11ian]

Hawthorns are lovely, with year round interest (beautiful leaves, scented flowers, autumn berries, etc) and doesn't grow too large. Good cover and food for local wildlife as well.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I'd say Hawthorn too.

We've got quite a mature one in the garden at the new build, and I was thinking of having it out as its in an awkward position and has gone a bit straggly through lack of attention, however, the blackbirds have been feasting on the berries this month, the bees love it in the spring and the long tailed tits flock into it and pick off all the bugs. I'm in love with it now and will give it the attention it deserves.

[Jardiniere]

grow fruit trees.......food, beauty and a feeling of self satisfaction............

[nick the grief]

there are varieties of Rowan that are upright rather than the normal tree shape and this will stop witches casting spells or your house - or so i'm told

There are smaller varieties of Silver birch as well. I'm lucky my garden is fairly long so the 30'er that self sowed it's self at the bottom of the garden is really good now and doubles as a bird feeding station :-)

I agree with Alice some of the cotoneaster's are good large shrub/small trees and another to add to the list is crab apple - also good for wildlife.

As to suppliers, take a look around the local garden centres for the smaller varieties or try Peter Trenear (hampshire)as he used to grow seedlings for bonsai so he may have some larger ones that he could mail to you.

[burnie]

Hazel would be a nice alternative,with the added bonus of a crop as well as pea sticks when you coppice it.