Prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’ (cheal’s weeping cherry) £69.99
Position: full sun Soil: tolerates most soils Rate of growth: average Flowering period: April to May Flower colour: bright pink Other features: retains shape well Hardiness: fully hardy Weeping branches are covered in pink buds, opening to clusters of double pink flowers in mid- to late spring. Young bronze leaves turn glossy green in summer. This magnificent weeping tree is ideal for a small garden, as a specimen in the lawn or by a stream or pool. Garden care: When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly. Prune in summer to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker. Cut back any dead, diseased or branches which cross to healthy wood.

Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’ (sweet gum) £69.99
Position: full sun Soil: moist, well-drained, acidic to neutral soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May Hardiness: fully hardy There are not too many trees that are suitable for small gardens, so we were delighted when this one was recently introduced from the USA, where it has already won a Gold Medal. It is a cultivar of the American sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua, and as the name suggests it has a tall, slender habit. Like its parent, it produces lustrous, maple-like green leaves, which take on spectacular shades of orange and crimson in the autumn before they fall – especially if they are grown on acidic soils with lots of sun. It will also produce curious, spikey fruits that ripen from green to brown, and hang from the branches like exotic dangly earings. An easy to grow tree that will reach around 18m tall (it puts on an average of 30-60cm (1-2ft) each year), but will only spread to around 2m wide. The tree has glossy green maple-like leaves in summer, which turn to rich red, orange and golden shades in the autumn holding on to the tree for some time, with the best red colours produced on acid soils. It has insignificant flowers, but produces golf-ball sized brown spiky fruits. Sweetgums are soil tolerant but prefer deep well-drained soil in a sunny spot and once established can withstand both temporary flooding or drought. This variety won a gold medal in America in 2010 from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and we expect it to be very popular over here. Garden care: When planting, incorporate lots of well-rotted manure or garden compost into the planting hole and stake firmly. Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter.

Davidia involucrata (dove tree) £69.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: moist, well-drained soil that isn’t prone to long periods of drought Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: May Flower colour: small flowers surrounded by large, white bracts Hardiness: fully hardy An unusual, deciduous tree with gorgeous heart-shaped, dark green leaves with soft white down underneath and large, white bracts that surround the small flowers in late spring. It is from these bracts that it gets its common names – dove tree or handkerchief tree – as they supposedly look like doves resting on the branches or handkerchiefs drying. It is a wonderful tree that can often take 10 years to produce lots of flowers although you may get a few blooms earlier on. The tree in a 10lt pot is approx 3 years old. Garden care: Requires minimal pruning but you will need to maintain a strong central leader in the first few years. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter. When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly.

Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’ (sweet gum) £69.99
Position: sun Soil: moist, well-drained, acidic to neutral soil Rate of growth: average Flowering period: May Hardiness: fully hardy A gorgeous tree, with large, star-like, shiny, bright green leaves which turn brilliant purple, then shades of orange and yellow in the autumn. It has a rounded, heavy crown, and although it is not particularly fast-growing, it is not suitable for a small garden, as it is long-lived and will eventually grow to 25 metres. In Britain, it flowers intermittently and inconspicuously in spring, but it is for the foliage that this tree is prized. Grow it either as a specimen tree in grass, or as the centrepiece to a glade. Trees grown in a rich, damp soil in full sun will colour the best. Garden care: When planting, incorporate lots of well-rotted manure or garden compost into the planting hole and stake firmly. Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter.

Prunus ‘Hilling’s Weeping’ (weeping Fuji cherry (syn. ‘Snow Showers’)) £69.99
Position: full sun Soil: tolerates most soils Rate of growth: average, can prune hard. Flowering period: March/April Flower colour: white Other features: good autumn leaf colours Hardiness: fully hardy A beautiful weeping tree that is ideal for the smallest gardens and will thrive in large tubs. Its long, weeping branches are smothered in pure white flowers in March and April and create a cascade effect. The flowers are produced on the current year’s growth, so the branches can be pruned hard each year after flowering if required. The leaves are small, mid-green, and turn lush shades of burgundy and red in autumn. This is a top-grafted plant, so it has a nice and bushy crown. This grafting process also helps keep the plant compact. Garden care: When planting, incorporate lots of well-rotted compost in the planting hole and stake firmly. If potting up use John Innes No3 compost and make sure it is kept well watered during warm weather. Any necessary pruning should be done in summer to reduce the risk of bacterial canker canker.

Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’ (honey locust) £69.99
Position: full sun Soil: all well-drained soils Rate of growth: fast-growing Flowering period: March to May Flower colour: inconspicuous white Other features: doesn’t produce fruit Hardiness: fully hardy A fast-growing tree with golden yellow, spring foliage which darkens to pale green but then turns butter yellow in autumn. It is a thornless variety that is tough enough to be plant in city gardens as it is quite tolerant of pollution. A fast-growing tree that is one of the most effective golden trees. Garden care: Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter. When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly.

Prunus ‘Pandora’ (ornamental cherry) £64.99
Position: full sun Soil: tolerates most soils Rate of growth: average Flowering period: March Flower colour: shell-pink Other features: will tolerate chalky soils Hardiness: fully hardy Spreading tree with masses of shell-pink, spring flowers and attractive bronze red new leaves which turn dark green in summer. In autumn, the foliage turns a vibrant orange. An ornamental cherry ideal for small, urban gardens or one where space is restricted. Garden care: When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly. Prune in summer to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker. Cut back any dead, diseased or branches which cross to healthy wood.

Crataegus laevigata ‘Paul’s Scarlet’ (midland hawthorn) £64.99
Position: full sun or partial shade Soil: all soils except waterlogged Rate of growth: average Flowering period: March to May Flower colour: pink Other features: a tough tree for all gardens Hardiness: fully hardy A popular thorny tree with mid-green, three- to five-lobed leaves and a profusion of double, dark pink flowers in late spring. It is an ideal plant for all conditions, as it is tough enough to stand exposed sites, city pollution and even costal gardens, while also have ornamental value in the garden. Garden care: Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter. When planting incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole and stake firmly.