"In the garden, [trees] either make possible or inhibit what else we wish to grow, and in the way they absorb or reflect the light and move with the wind seem to be a living part of everything that happens. They are not to be played with lightly."
-from the Introduction
Trees are indeed an important component of any garden. Whether for flower, fruit, or foliage or for shelter and shade or as a windbreaker, tree planting is not something to tackle without giving prior thought. That's why Best Trees for Your Garden (Firefly Books; November 2003) -- a Main Selection of the Garden Book Club -- is a good book to refer to beforehand.
Remembering the five prime requirements for plant life (air, light, warmth, water, food), it is important to know the constraints and potentials of the climate of one's garden and other factors before deciding on what tree to purchase, such as:
access to sunlight
availability of water
how well the soil drainage is in your garden
whether or not the trees will be at risk of damage by animals
whether or not extensive pruning will be necessary
determining which season is best for planting trees in your climate
After determining the best type of tree, one can then refer to the rest of the book to pick out specifically which tree is best suited for one's garden.
The second half of Best Trees for Your Garden contains extensive directories of broad-leaved trees and of conifers. Entries provide essential information, such as the speed of the tree's growth, its maintenance needs, and its leaf shape, flower, height, and spread.
Special sections include a chart about trees with special attributes (for example, trees that accept potentially difficult types of soil, trees good as wind shelters in maritime exposure, those with colorful and bold foliage), zone maps of North America (very important to check out since North American climates range from the frigid to the subtropical), and a listing of U.S., Canadian, and U.K. resources of where to buy trees.
The author, Allen Paterson, is a distinguished horticulturist and throughout the book he discusses ways in which trees can be used to enhance one's landscape, whether it's to one's home or to the rest of the garden. Beautiful photographs show examples of the beauty and effectiveness of different types of trees, in all types of settings. Carefully researched on both sides of the Atlantic and "Americanized" for the North America audience, Best Trees for Your Garden is necessary reading for all serious gardeners.
