Where to buy from!

Hello all, having always bought my plants from local nurseries, I am now considering my options for the purchase of two trees.
I am looking for an Amelanchier Robin Hill and Sorbus commixta 'Embley' for a small garden which is currently all lawn. As the garden is for an older couple, we would ideally like the trees to be as large as possible for the outlay. I am wondering if others have bought online - if so, who with and were you pleased?

 

Just so you know you are running out of time for bare root trees , you may have to go down the pot route instead , with trees I alwas like to pick the one I want can be hit and miss with mail order but quite a few are starting to sell them from a picture of the actual tree .


Spruce

http://www.bluebellnursery.com/catalogue/trees/Sorbus/S/5203332


http://www.bluebellnursery.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi

 

Thanks Spruce, I agree about liking to see the actual plant - I've always done this myself so far. I reckon bare root would be fine for a couple of weeks yet, things aren't moving on much at all yet.
I just wondered if any online places might be better value and therefore allow a bigger tree for the money.
I will look at the links - cheers.

 

Hi Julie,

Www.mailordertrees.co.uk

I used them last year to buy a lilac 1.5m and amelanchier robin hill 2mI ordered the big ones as I was impatient.

Trees arrived very healthy, very strong. Lilac was 1.8m and amelanchier at least 2.5m tall. Roots appeared small but tightly bound. Both looked amazing and healthy last year and have really healthy buds this year.

I would definitely buy from them again.
All the best
Tnd

 

Thank you tirednewdad, that's worth looking into then. I will report back later.

 

Don't know if they have the trees you want, but I have bought lots from Ashridge Trees. They mostly only do bare-root, so you'll need to order in the next week or so ... and be ready to plant

Their larger size (8/10 Std) are pretty big, although its difficult to guestimate - as sizes are based on girth of the trunk, not overall height. Probably best to phone them if you want an approximate height, but I have bought some Cherries in the 8/10 Std size and they were a good 12' tall.

 

Kristen, Ashridge have a good selection of what look like reasonably priced trees. If I can persuade them to consider a different Sobus to the one I have already suggested(!) and if I make up a larger order by including some fruit trees I'm after, this is a definite possibility. Thanks.
Aargh, Ive got so carried away looking at trees on here that I'm late now for the tree and shrub sale at the auction!

 

http://www.deepdale-trees.co.uk/

We got our Oak from these people and at £300 it was a bargain.
They will ship it to you, but you move it into position from the kerb unless it is to big like some of the ones they sell.

 

£300 I would want a oak wood at that price

 

Not come across them before. Excellent looking products, judging by their website (which is well thought through and nicely showcases their work )

 

Agree with tirednewdad99 re their suggestion. Bought from this company as the super source of Sorbus I'd used for years stopped trading (sob). Bought various Sorbus and Liquidamber, all very good quality, good size and well packaged. Don't expect advice from the company tho, they are middle men as far as I could gather. Much better than a heralded (by Royal Appointment) source who sent me some terrible spindly Sorbus AND the wrong variety. After several emails telling them I hadn't got what I ordered they still didn't admit to their mistake until I sent them photos once the tree was in leaf, I knew damned fine the minute the trees arrived they were wrong! Picked the wrong person to palm of your basic Sorbus when I'd ordered Sorbus Sargentiana which are very distinct!
If buying bare rooted you might need to get your skates on, altho having said that it's like the middle of winter here atm.

 

I too have bought from mailordertrees.co.uk and they were nice plants and have done well, but they were not as big as Ashridge Trees - so worth bearing in mind when comparing prices. I wish Ashridge would state the height of their trees, rather than the girth. I know that the industry buys based on girth, but I am sure the absence of a height on their site makes their trees look expensive.

 

That's good to know Kristen, I'll bare this in mind. Thanks.

 

Spruce, you are a card. The tree was in a metre tub and was 7.5m high when purchased.
Kirsten, We only came across them from word of mouth. I prefer this method as you can view what others have had and what it looks like in the ground.
I think ours was around 265mm girth though.

 

I went out and measured a couple.

I have some Cherry trees from mailordertrees.co.uk that have been in for 2 growing seasons and they are 2.5M tall - website says 180-220cm so probably 2M when we got them.

I also have some Cherry trees from Ashridge Trees that were planted a couple of months ago and they are (and obviously were when we got them!!) 3M tall

I just picked one tree for price comparison - a "Taihaku" Great White Cherry:

mailordertrees.co.uk £30 (labelled as a half-standard, 180-220cm)

Ashridge Trees £45 (labelled as a 8/10 standard, they do a cheaper 6/8 std too [but out of stock, so I cannot see the price anymore, looking at other similar products my guess is that they were £35)