Hi Sheila: Hope all is going well for you. I've been travelling for work lately so haven't been online much - just got back from Seattle, leaving for Boston in a couple days. I am partial to any of the red leaf varieties such as 'Wine & Roses' grows to 5 feet, or 'Purple Leaf Sand Cherry' grows to 8 feet. Either would look stunning in your new garden.

Prunus 'Amanogawa' is ideal for a small garden but its pink. Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai would fit the bill. Mount Fuji Cherry - Prunus Shirotae would be my absolute favourite but possibly too big for your garden.

Hi Paul, good to hear from you and I hope all the travelling is making life interesting. I will Google your two suggestions - thanks.

Thank you Jimmy - I love P. kojo-no-mai, and already have a couple! Not keen on the very upright Amanogawa, but was wondering about Fuji and Shirotae so I'll look them up too.

Not sure I'd choose a cherry Prunus at all, Sheilabub, they all have surface roots and don't appreciate cultivation around them, plus the roots tend to spread widely just under the surface. I'd probably go for Malus 'Snowcloud', which has fragrant white blossom, though its pink in bud. Or stick to Amelanchier...

Bamboo, you've hit the nail right on the head so to speak. Out of all the shrubs I have in my garden the one that shines out is my Amelanchier Canadansis and for scent Viburnum 'Mohawk'.

I know that Sheilabub already loves Amelanchier, so its entirely possible there are plans for one to be included already, Jimmytheone... and the root spread on cherries is really only a consideration because this is a much smaller garden. If a tree is wanted, the Malus would do the trick, if an Amelanchier is already included in the plan,plus its fragrant, which cherry blossom, by and large, isn't.

Thank you Bamboo, and you're right, I'm planning an Amelanchier for the back garden, and have a 'shrub' variety for the border in the front. There won't be much in the way of 'cultivation' around the cherry, as the plan is to plant it in the grass, possibly with a scattering of bulbs around it. I'm now favouring Prunus Chocolate Ice (for the small front garden) . . .

Thanks Sheila! Hurricane Nate swept through here yesterday and ruined my rudbeckias - now I have lots of cut flowers, lol! I made off easy compared to others so I'm not complaining. The selections you and Jimmy mentioned are also quite striking. I don't think you can go wrong.

:))

Hi Sheila, like the guys have said, sadly the roots of prunus surface and sprout so could be a pain as a specimen tree for mowing etc. I have a few Prunus, my white one is big, hmmm, what size of tree are you thinking of ?

Hi Dawn, thanks. Oddly, I didn't have a problem with spreading roots in our old garden (we had Prunus serrula and P. Tai Haku). I'm thinking not more than 25 feet - possibly P. Chocolate Ice and/or P. Autumnalis.

They're both lovely. I like the online company Mail Order Trees, I've bought from them alot, worth a look for ideas.

Many thanks Dawn - great to have a recommendation.

Are you including Cornus an acers :-). My faves

Definitely Acers, Dawn. And I've brought Cornus 'Eddie's White Wonder' from the old garden . . . I love them both too :)

Love C Eddie's White Wonder. did you see Bluebell Arboretum on GW on Friday night? They're about 3 miles from here. After a walk around there I bought a peeling bark birch - Betula albosinensis ‘China Ruby’ and a special copper bark cherry Prunus serrula 'Princesse Sturdza'. Acer griseum is my fave though at the moment oh and white stemmed Betula :)

Wow - lucky you, Dawn! We planted a Prunus serrula for our first grandchild, but had to leave it behind (the blossom was never that great, to be honest) - I don't know which variety it was. But I hope to include an Acer griseum - we had a beautiful one before. Hope all yours do well for you. :)

Did you Sheila, how nice, I don't have any grandchildren, yet! What a great idea, Amy did that too! Hopefully my prunus is more about the copper bark, I look FWD to it evolving. I feel we have similar taste x