The tree you mention I have seen at Bodnant Gardens it is lovely
my suggestion would be a magnolia called Susan it has deep pink vase shaped flowers 4-6" showing pale pink inside it grows to 7' tall 5' wide reaching 15' after 10yrs it has upright habit and flowers in mid to late spring before the leaves appear - beautiful
good luck with whatever you choose :o))

This sounds beautiful neellan, thanks. Does it look lovely out of flower too? I know.. I'll google it:-)

I've been googling and I want it whether or not I use it on front garden so thanks for the introduction:-)

The specimen tree in my front garden is amelanchier 'Ballerina'. If you go to my home page and select the Garden tab, you will find it listed with photos

So glad you liked it born I love them :o))

my choice would be Parrotia persica, although it is a medium sized tree(keep it pruned), you will be rewarded with stunning colours in autumn, small flowers in spring, and a gorgeous fragrance when rocked.
Buy it..8)

sorry i cant do latin names but there is a weeping silver birch thats mature and something to behold all year as i pass it often wishing i had a bigger garden lol.

'Honey Locust' maybe?

Just to confirm Noseypotters choice Betula pendula "Youngii"

Thanks Andrew, your amelanchier ballerina looks charming, i must check on its growth rate and size. The parrotia persica may overwhelm my small ftont garden Steve but I will check it out it's a lovely family of trees. Nosey, although I adore silver birches There is no room for one on my small front lawn. I think if there was I would certainly have one as I too love them. Gleditsia Heron is I think also on the large side for me I'm afraid. I did plant a robinia frisia on my back garden 'cos I love them, but heartbreaking though it is, it's got to come up this year:-( Thanks for all your help and please keep the ideas coming. When I do make the decision I'll post a pic. It's exciting making a big decision like this as it has to be right when you look at the price of a specimen tree! :-)

Maybe a Rhus tree cos of the lovely foliage... but I wouldn't go within ten feet of a Rhus tree myself!!!!!

ok, a second go for me is Acer grisseum (paperbark maple) ideal for a small spot, but buy a more established plant as you can afford because they look better as they get older.

Thanks for that Pip c lol. I'll have a look Steve, thanks:-)

Too big I'm afraid it says 10 mtr spread and height, ' though slow growing:-(

Have a look at Prunus serrula Bornagain.
When i saw one of these in one of Wisleys courtyard show gardens i was hooked !
I've always loved them and what they'd done was remove the leading branch and kept 4 side ones, i'm not describing this well but, it kept it as a short tree, must have been easily under 20'.

I want (and will eventually get) an Aralia spinosa - this may be a bit big but 'Hercules Club' is slow growing.

Hi Louise, I've found a way to pass the dark months...researching small specimen trees/shrubs:-) I would really like to have it blooming this spring so perhaps I can't spend that long looking. Did you see it out of flower? I find that some magnificent flowerers don't look too hot the rest of the time until maybe autumn. Thanks for your suggestion, it's on my 'google' list:-) Wagger I really din't know aralias much so I'll google and add to my knowledge. Thanks for your suggestion:-) I wish someone had actually seen cornus cherokee sunset in and out of bloom, maybe it's a bit of a dud:-(

I'd go with Andrew's suggestion of Amelanchier, either lamarckii or the one he names - just bear in mind they're not really classed as trees, more of a large, woody shrub, simply because they tend to have more than one trunk, perhaps up to four woody trunks, and reach up to about 12 feet, depending on variety. A thing of beauty in all seasons - brilliant autumn leaf colour before dropping, purple flushed new leaves, blossom in spring, and an interesting shape when bare in the winter because of the multi trunks.

I did have a lamarckii in my old garden bamboo and although I agree it's lovely throughout the seasons I wanted something a bit more unusual and something I'd never had. I know, it's pathetic isn't it:-( Ballerina I assume is smaller?? and I may have a place for that in the back garden (having makeover) I'll google it and p serrula Louise although I fear it may be too big. I've got a lovely long google list now:-) I've never had a magnolia so that's an exciting idea but it must be a small one and I think not white. Thanks for all the lovely ideas

Magnolia's pretty boring when it's not in flower - and if its windy when it flowers, they get blown to pieces in no time. sorry to prick your balloon, Bornagain, but I think you'd be better off with the Cornus you originally suggested rather than magnolia. Unless you really want a magnolia and have nowhere else to put one, that is;-))

My garden is only about 18 feet wide by roughly the same deep so as you can see from the inspiring (not) pic, I really do have a small frontage. I was getting very excited by magnolias, but I'm now deflated:-( I've also just read that many don't flower for years also. I just wish I could see cornus cherokee sunset 'in the flesh' or heard from someone who knew it through the year. perhaps it sounds too good to be true?? I may just take the gamble, but at the price for a specimen plant it could be an expensive mistake:-( I should have put a pic of my front garden on when I posed this question shouldn't I:-)

Just checked out the Cornus you mentioned - the listing I looked at said "it's not the easiest one to grow" compared to the other cherokee varieties.

what about cytissus batandieri, evergreen and can take pruning too, fantastic pineapple smell when in flower.

Doesn't it need some shelter and possibly support Steve? Was that on Junkers Bamboo? i've looked at lots and that's the only one to say that but it's probably right it's tto good to be true:-( Thanks for all your efforts. I think the plant I want doesn't exist or I have to move:-)

Suggest you wait till next year and take a trip round the garden centres, having done a bit of research during the winter. I wouldn't be buying one of those new Cornus varieties without seeing one in the flesh first, so to speak, preferably in full leaf. Lots of options for that area - what about "tropical" style, using things like Trachycarpus fortunei, Phormium, etc., or a small weeping tree - there's a weeping version of Gleditsia, as well as cherry, willow, etc.

The magnolia Susan that I mentioned does flower in the first year according to my Reader Digest good plant guide so don't despair nice to see your front garden it helps you have been busy :o)

Another option would be something like Nandina Domestica and 'lift her skirts' as she grows to make her growth tree-like - then there'd be no problem keeping her small.

Thanks Wagger, but would she knock your eyes out? I'll go google, thanks:-) Thanks Neellan I'm envious of your Readers Digest good plant guide I might look on Amazon to see if they have any. my favourite gardening book ever was Readers Digest, think Guide to Creative Gardening?? or something like that I mentioned it on my fave book blog:-) Do you know what Susan looks like out of flower?

Just an evergreen bush, Bornagain, that's what it looks like out of flower! Never plant a specimen shrub or tree just for its flowers - they'll be there less than one month out of 12.

Yes Born they are usually a nice shape and the flowers last longer than say a cherry or amalancher

I read she colours in autumn too Neellan:-) Bamboo I know you're the voice of reason, but it's so hard to wait now I've got all excited about it. I'll try not to decide yet, but having no transport it's hard to get to see much. It was going to be my Christmas present........from me!

Oh how boring to be the voice of reason - I say go for it, whatever "it" may be then;-)))

Ok, but I'll blame you if I make the wrong choice;-)))))

Won't be my fault, Bornagain;-))