Sheena Patterson of Oxford Garden Design gets in touch with her inner tree hugger

It’s hard to imagine a landscape without trees and whilst I’m not exactly a tree hugger, I confess my children accuse me of being a bit of a hippy when it comes to admiring the majesty and dignity of mature trees.

Often described as the lungs of the earth, trees are an important part of the world around us, that people sometimes take for granted.

So to raise awareness, from tomorrow to December 7 is National Tree Week.

If you’ve been thinking about planting a tree in your garden, now is the perfect time of year to be doing that.

Whilst the garden centres of Oxfordshire seem to be filled to the brim with tinsel and other festive bobbles, it is also possible to find bare root trees and hedging plants available to be put into the ground right now.

They offer much better value than pot-grown trees because they are simply lifted straight from the ground while dormant.

If you do decide to plant a tree, not only will you be doing your bit for the environment, but you’ll be doing your bit for your waistline as well.

Studies have shown that women can burn up to 300 calories with an hour of moderately strenuous gardening activities like cultivating or using a spade, and simply being in the presence of trees and plants reduces stress.

However please note all you Movember men of another health issue, this time associated with too much strenuous exercise in the garden. Get the tree planted soon, before the ground becomes too frosted. Breaking up frozen soil is neither good for your back or the tree.

Even if you only have a small garden, it’s possible to find a suitable tree to fill a little space.

The tree that you choose depends on your own taste of course, but if you want a flowering tree, look for one that has been grafted onto a smaller tree, this is quite common with ornamental trees.

You really don’t need much space to grow fruit trees, if you choose one that has been trained as an espalier, or fan shape, these can grow quite happily next to a fence or wall, provided you prune it well every year.

A good tree for winter interest is the paper bark maple; as its name suggests, the bark peels off the tree and it has a very attractive cinnamon coloured stem.

If you have a bit more space, the Himalayan birch is an excellent choice with its bright white bark reflecting the low winter sun with dazzling effect.

The eucalyptus, or snow gum, with its creamy white bark is very easy to grow in most Oxfordshire soil types, but can be a bit of a thug if not kept in check.

Of course, with the rapid approach of Christmas, a holly tree may appeal.

However, a word of warning, if you buy a male you’ll never get the berries, likewise if you buy a female without the male the result will be the same, you need both.

Nature bears out what I’ve always maintained – for best results in the garden, male and female input is required.

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