Work for the week

TREES: As we enter National Tree Week please consider a tree for your garden — even a large specimen if you don’t have the years to see a small one grow tall and stately.!

A mature silver Birch at €175 or thereabouts is good value 20ft tall and nearly fully grown. Its branch structure will have a handsome candle-flame shape, and its trunk will be gleaming white. An evergreen Magnolia grandiflora starting at a similar price (moving up of course depending on size), will have a dense, broadly conical shape with leathery, glossy, dark green leaves all of eight inches long. At €60 to €100 it is possible to invest in an established Japanese maple to grace your lawn or act as a focal point.

A mature specimen of tree or large shrub can also be used to mark an occasion. Your choice will delight in the ornamental garden. You must however go to a reputable supplier who will give you a guarantee with your purchase. They will also advise on how well-suited it is to the growing conditions you are able to provide. Although it is often easy and inexpensive to take risks with small plants it’s not a good idea when buying expensive specimens. In the Munster area, Nangle and Niesen, Cork, hold a very large variety or semi-mature and mature ornamental trees and shrubs that are worth viewing at their Aherla complex.