How to Choose a Patio Tree

You'll live up close and personal with a patio tree, so choose one like you would a sofa for the family room. Look for durability, seasonal colors you like and a comfortable shape. Following are some further considerations.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Patio Trees In Containers

1. Evaluate the site and determine how you would show your patio tree to best advantage. Would you prefer the tree to be the dead-center focal point where paving stones are removed? For it to provide a spreading canopy over the patio from one side? Or for it to offer a kind of screen directly between the patio and lawn for dramatic shade?

2. Look at the selections of small trees that grow well in your area and consider those you'd like to look at for years. Go for the real "show-offs" - those that have flowers that bloom when your garden has no blooms or that have berries for winter interest.

3. Go for durable, long-lived small trees - ask your neighbors and nursery professionals and consult your county extension service. Research trees for your zone that grow at a moderate rate and do not form thickets you will have to prune frequently.

4. Choose a tree that fits your soil type and garden practices - avoid shallow-rooted trees that may break paving stones as they spread as well as those that need a much different watering regime than your other plants.

5. Think color. Coordinate color and seasonal features with the rest of your garden - you'll want your patio tree to gain unity in your design through the year. Follow spring's pink in the perennial bed with a summer flowering tree in the same shade, or precede summer's cool whites with a spring tree loaded with white flowers that will put on berries through summer.

6. Or, choose an evergreen tree for the patio for its constant form, and make it a perfect backdrop of plantings below or nearby. Let the evergreen be upright and permanent in the landscape and plan for spring bulbs and winter annuals below for color.

7. Shop for a nearly grown tree for patio planting so you can appreciate its features before you plant - and because waiting for it to grow into your design will be frustrating at best. Buy patio trees in containers for easier transplanting and lower maintenance than bare root or balled and burlap trees.

Tips & Warnings

• Let your patio tree bring a distinctive shape to your close-up garden - it can be a tall column, an open umbrella or a vase shape. You'll enjoy the profile of trunks and branches of deciduous trees while they're dormant.
• Keep summer flowering trees blooming by removing flowers as they fade.
• Stay away from trees that drop staining litter (purple berries, for example) for patio planting.

on 11/22/2005 There are more types of tree than you know. But there is no tree that won't outgrow the spot you picked for it. Trimming is needed for any tree you select. There is no tree that doesn't shed something, so look at leaf size and fruit before you plant.