Small tree for pot in sunny garden

Hi all,

We have a decked garden which when it's sunny has sun most of the day and gets quite warm as it's quite sheltered. We would like something we can put out there in a pot, maybe around 5 foot which has attractive leaves. Flowers would be nice as long as they don't drop too much. Not really wanting fruit either. Any ideas?

We like Acers but fear when it's sunny they may not like it. Obviously being in the UK it will be chilly at times too so need something hardy!

Thanks

 

How about a Sambucus?


They don’t mind being hacked back in early spring when the buds appear, so can be shaped to suit.

 

Sambucas, I find, is not a great pot plant....their roots need space Freddie I think

How about eucalyptus France Bleu? This is a dwarf eucalyptus that will happily sit in a container in the sun.

Prunus Cistena Crimson Dwarf has maroon red leaves and delightful pink/white flowers in spring.

 

Thanks I'll look them up do you agree an Acer isn't a good choice? We are not natural gardeners so would hate to kill it!

Thought about an olive tree but they are not so pretty

 

Acers do not generally like full sun esp the decorative Japanese types.
Of course, there will be the exception but acers are expensive things to put in anything other than appropriate positions

 

You ain’t seen the size of her pot!

 

It seems from what I've read that most Japanese maples like part shade, but a minority can tolerate full sun. Perhaps the fact that few varieties are suggested here is a clue?

Best Japanese Maples for Sun

Nick

 

Acers vary considerably....for example I grow Flamingo. It is in full sun, well drained soil and it is pruned hard every autumn. It then makes a huge beautifully variegated shrub by mid summer. By September it is over 7’ tall and 9 or so feet wide. I could never grow a Japanese maple in that spot. Different types of acers coping with widely differing conditions!
I will post a picture later or in a day or so.

 

Acer Flamingo......new growth is pink adding to its appeal I think

 

Acer Garnettii .....there is a white phlox in front and a red phlox to the right both soon to flower and help to paint a pleasant scene here I think.
This is the only Japanese acer I grow and it is tucked away in a top sheltered corner of the garden

 

@Verdun 'Flamingo' is gorgeous, never seen it before! Is that Geranium 'Ann Folkard' growing next to it?

 

Ah, think it’s Purple Pillow Nikalaos.
This is Ann Folkhard.....incidentally it was cut back about a fortnight ago so you can see it reflowers again very quickly. The leaves have a yellow cast on them
Yes, Flamingo is such an impactful plant......I will post a picture soon with its new flush of pink

 

I thought of this post earlier on when I was passing my local Asda and noticed that they had some grape vines trained as standards. They were about a metre high, a round ball on top of a long stem, attractive things which only cost £5 or £10.

Vine leaves are a beautiful shape, go wonderful colours in autumn, and of course you might get some fruit too! Even if that only stays small the birds would love it. And a vine will do fine in a pot in a sunny spot -see https://www.glut.co.uk/blog-post/how-to-grow-grape-vines-in-pots

Or a standard rose? Maybe something like "Flower Carpet," which has a very long flowering season and comes in various colours. I have a white one grown as ground cover here - it is in flower from May to December, vigorous and healthy but never growing too large.

If you're sure it's a tree you want, how about a bay, Laurus nobilis | bay tree/RHS Gardening? Beautiful glossy green leaves, useful for the kitchen, fun to topiarise and actually better kept in a pot - grows too large otherwise.

 

Thanks for the ideas. We are starting to think climbers of some kind. We had a big expanse of decking but now have furniture and a big parasol so it doesn't look as barron. Thinking of getting a pagoda at the end so a climber might look good and be enough

 

Clematis viticella Etoile Violette makes an attractive feature. Long flowering. Make a tripod and use John innes compost