Happy Red....the habitat expands :)

[British Red]

Today whilst poking around a local stockist of native trees, looking for a whitebeam (which we found a llovely speciment of), we stumbled across a tree I have loved since living on the Downs....a spindle tree. Managed to get two small ones for £2.25 each

If you have never seen one, they have the most beautiful seed pods


large spindle by British Red, on Flickr

I'll have to break the saw out and remove some more weed trees soon, but we are getting tight for space for new species now. Still we are up to 43 tree species....it would be nice to make 50 and do our bit for biodiversity. There are a few oddities I really want to add....but I'm going to have to get very selective soon

 

[Mesquite]

Nice find Hugh

They do do have lovely flowers

 

[Elen Sentier]

Super tree! We have the wild one here but the last bad winter got my posh one (like your 2) and I've not replaced it yet, you've inspired me! If I've still not done it by next year would you give me a couple of cuttings, hope they come true . Now you'll have to get carving spindles for us spinners

 

[ozzy1977]

I love the squareish cross section to the young twigs too, quite odd but a stunning little tree

 

[British Red]

Of course Elen...I love to see people growing these things. We have some lovely and unusual things growing now...some we have had to buy but many are gifts, cuttings and volunteers. Still a few elusive "wants" on the list of course.....I keep hoping to find a suckering Wild Service Tree to round out our sorbus collection since there is very little chance of seed germinating one....I suspect I will have to buy that one though

 

[drliamski]

I'll keep my eyes open for you red. Does it have to be a sucker? Would a cutting not work?

Sent from my ST21i using Tapatalk 2

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Spindle is lovely - the flowers are so pretty. We have a large patch of spindle, dispersed over several acres, at our woodland site in mid-Kent I always stop and admire the flowers

All the best,

Phil.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Charming little trees......................spectacular autumn foliage & used to make artist's charcoal

 

[British Red]

I'll keep my eyes open for you red. Does it have to be a sucker? Would a cutting not work?

Sent from my ST21i using Tapatalk 2

Just realying what I have read that they propogate best from suckers

 

[Elen Sentier]

Of course Elen...I love to see people growing these things. We have some lovely and unusual things growing now...some we have had to buy but many are gifts, cuttings and volunteers. Still a few elusive "wants" on the list of course.....I keep hoping to find a suckering Wild Service Tree to round out our sorbus collection since there is very little chance of seed germinating one....I suspect I will have to buy that one though

I'll have a hunt round for your wild Service Tree, I need to check whether there is one in our hedge ... I know! But it gets crowded and messy in there but we do have all the British ogahm trees except alder. We have good clay soil which service tree likes. I'll ask a couple of friends, one's a woodsman who gives me things out of Charlie's woods (HRH) and t'other's a tree fanatic . if the one I thought I had ain't there I'll be wanting one too.

UPDATE - I found this http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/Wild-Service-Tree-Sorbus-torminalis delivery is add £6.50, not as expensive as some ... Oh and they go for rootgrow which is a good sign

 

[Elen Sentier]

Just realying what I have read that they propogate best from suckers

We don't have enough sun here to get the seeds to full ripeness but I'd give a cutting a try if I find a tree to take one from hereabous.The suckers will have grown well, with a good root system hopefully, while still attached to the parent plant so should be more hardy, cuttings have to start again and grow their own root system.

 

[British Red]

I'll have a hunt round for your wild Service Tree, I need to check whether there is one in our hedge ... I know! But it gets crowded and messy in there but we do have all the British ogahm trees except alder. We have good clay soil which service tree likes. I'll ask a couple of friends, one's a woodsman who gives me things out of Charlie's woods (HRH) and t'other's a tree fanatic . if the one I thought I had ain't there I'll be wanting one too.

UPDATE - I found this http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/Wild-Service-Tree-Sorbus-torminalis delivery is add £6.50, not as expensive as some ... Oh and they go for rootgrow which is a good sign

<chuckle>

I had a bad night last night and found the same link....and knuckled under and bought two

I have a grey alder one year maiden, if it does well, I'll try and grow one for you in a year or so Ellen.

Ashridge are a good nursery (but delivery is spotty - not good if you take time off to plant a hedge!). I got our native hedging from them and its doing very well - the earliest is on its third winter and really filling out well now.

 

[drliamski]

Ah well. I have used ashridge plenty of times for fruit and hedging and they have always been in very good condition.
Good luck

Sent from my ST21i using Tapatalk 2

 

[British Red]

Thanks mate - at £4 I could run to them

They are sold as hedging but I'll bring them on in a large pot for a while and see how they do...I may be scrounging again if they turn up their toes.

 

[Elen Sentier]

<chuckle>

I had a bad night last night and found the same link....and knuckled under and bought two

I have a grey alder one year maiden, if it does well, I'll try and grow one for you in a year or so Ellen.

Ashridge are a good nursery (but delivery is spotty - not good if you take time off to plant a hedge!). I got our native hedging from them and its doing very well - the earliest is on its third winter and really filling out well now.

Good on yer! My garden-designer friend says the same about delivery, she had similar probs with her native hedging last year, howver the plants, when finally arrived and in, did really well and are looking good even in their first year. You buying them has almost spurred me to, certainly a good price.

Alder will be grand. Am hoping to have a go with some whips from our favourite local tree down on the Dore water, they may take over the summer. The tree suggested I have a go this early spring so I'd better get over there soon afore he changes his mind

 

[Elen Sentier]

Hmmm !!! Not good !!! You are NOT good for me Red !!! I now have a spindle and a service tree in my basket with Ashridge ... sigh! That could be a Mora crook knife instead ... :aargh4: ... not yet paid for so it's all still in play

 

[British Red]

If you want some elder let me know....I'm cutting back some weed trees (mostly ash and elder round here) to permit light to get to the spindles. The brash pile is above head height now

Wish I could afford a nice 5 acre field round here - 4 acres for ash coppice and an acre mixed in for habitat trees. Ahhh well - coffee then more cutting!

 

[Harvestman]

Spindle is a lovely tree. Not common here in South Wales, but there's a few about, and lots have been planted in the Woodland trust reserve that I warden. Also several Wild Service Trees. You've probably thought of it already, but the Woodland Trust might be a good source if you are after specific tree types.

 

[British Red]

I didn't know they sold trees as it goes Harvestman....couldn't see a "selling" spot on ther website? My modest little areas wouldn't interest them I'm sure - its just replacing fences with native hedging, building a small wildlife corridor and some specimen trees. Throw in some nest boxes, log piles set to decay, wild flowers and plants etc and you pretty much have it. I don't have the land for large schemes sadly....but it pleases us to do what we can

 

[Harvestman]

No, I'm not sure if they sell trees, as such. But they can certainly source them, as they do masses of planting. They might be able to point you at sources for particular things. Just a thought. Your site is fantastic anyway. You mentioned 43 species. Would you care to list them, and possibly anything that you might be after? The first would satisfy my curiosity, the second might result in you getting offers for what you are looking for, or things not in your list.

By the way, question at random: have you tried the 'bury a ceramic flower pot in a bank so that just the base is showing, so bumble bees can use the drainage hole in the bottom as a nest entrance'? I've always wanted to try this, but don't have anywhere suitable in my microscopically small garden.