By Feature - Patio | Planter

Acer palmatum dissectum, commonly known as the laceleaf Japanese maple, is a popular ornamental tree renowned for its intricate, finely divided foliage. This deciduous shrub or small tree is part of the Aceraceae family and originates from Japan, Korea, and China. It typically grows to a height of 2 to 3 meters (6 to 10 feet) with a similar spread, making it a perfect choice for small gardens and container planting.

The leaves of Acer palmatum dissectum are deeply lobed and serrated, resembling delicate lace. Throughout the seasons, the foliage transitions from a vibrant green in spring and summer to spectacular shades of red, orange, and purple in autumn, providing year-round interest. The tree's cascading, weeping habit adds an elegant and graceful element to any landscape design.

Acer palmatum dissectum prefers a position in partial shade with well-drained, moist soil. It is relatively low-maintenance, requiring minimal pruning to maintain its shape. This tree is also known for its resilience to pests and diseases. Its compact size and striking appearance make it an excellent choice for adding structure and color to garden borders, patios, and rockeries in British gardens.

Malus 'Butterball', a highly ornamental crabapple tree, is distinguished by its prolific golden-yellow fruit and its breathtaking, fragrant spring blossoms. These blossoms are dense, adding a profusion of white to landscapes. The tree is renowned for its decorative appeal, not only offering visual pleasure but also serving as an attraction for various wildlife, especially birds and pollinators, enriching biodiversity within its vicinity.

The fruits of Malus 'Butterball' are small, with a buttery, yellow hue, persisting into winter, adding vibrant winter interest to gardens and landscapes. The presence of these fruits also serves as a substantial food source for wildlife during the colder months when food is scarce.

This variety of crabapple is celebrated for its compact nature, making it a preferred choice for smaller gardens or spaces where larger trees would be impractical. It is also prized for its resilience, withstanding different environmental conditions, thus making it a versatile choice for different landscapes.

Besides its aesthetic and ecological values, Malus 'Butterball' is also appreciated for its low maintenance requirements. It's relatively disease-resistant compared to other crabapple varieties, making it a durable and long-lasting addition to a range of horticultural settings. The tree’s versatility and beauty make it a popular choice among garden enthusiasts and landscape designers alike.

Ligustrum lucidum 'Variegatum' Standard, at approximately 300cm tall, is an ideal choice for gardens needing elegant structure and effective screening. This evergreen tree features a dense, rounded crown elevated on a clear stem, creating a formal, lollipop-shaped standard that brings height and architectural interest to the landscape. The variegated foliage—glossy green leaves edged in creamy white—adds year-round brightness and contrast, making it visually appealing in all seasons.

Well-suited to urban and suburban gardens, this Ligustrum tolerates pollution, pruning, and a variety of soil types, provided they are well-drained. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and is relatively low-maintenance once established. In summer, it produces small, fragrant white flowers that attract pollinators, followed by dark berries which add further seasonal interest.

Its dense canopy makes it excellent for privacy screening, windbreaks, or as a focal point in formal garden designs. Whether used in rows along boundaries or as standalone specimens in courtyards and patios, Ligustrum lucidum 'Variegatum' Standard trees provide reliable structure, year-round color, and an elegant solution for screening and ornamental planting.

Acer palmatum 'Phoenix' is a stunning deciduous tree that belongs to the Aceraceae family. This particular cultivar of the Japanese maple is a popular ornamental plant and is prized for its vibrant, fiery foliage. 'Phoenix' has a unique combination of shades of red, orange, and yellow that make it stand out in any landscape. Its leaves are deeply lobed and have a delicate, lacy appearance that adds an elegant touch to any garden.

At maturity, Acer palmatum 'Phoenix' typically reaches a height of around 3 meters (10 feet) and a spread of approximately 2.5 meters (8 feet). Its growth rate is relatively slow, so it is perfect for small to medium-sized gardens. This compact size makes it an ideal choice for container planting, and it can also be grown as a stunning focal point in a mixed border. When placed in a prominent location in a garden, the brilliant fall colors of 'Phoenix' are sure to attract attention and provide a visual feast for the eyes.

Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream' is a captivating variety of Japanese Maple renowned for its eye-catching color transitions through the seasons. It typically exhibits vibrant orange-yellow foliage in spring, subtly transforming to a soft, light green as summer approaches. This stunning foliage coloration is accentuated with a contrasting network of delicate, dark red veins running through the leaves, contributing to its ornamental value.

In autumn, ‘Orange Dream’ puts on a spectacular display as the leaves transmute to a brilliant gold, sometimes with shades of red, providing a lasting impression before they fall. It's a compact, bushy, deciduous tree, making it an ideal choice for smaller gardens or for growing in containers. Additionally, it’s relatively slow-growing, reaching a height of approximately 3-4 meters over a 10-year period, ensuring manageability.

This variety prefers a sheltered location, avoiding the harshest midday sun, and appreciates well-draining, acidic to neutral soil. Providing adequate protection from strong winds and extreme temperatures will help in maintaining its vibrant leaf color and overall health. Regular watering, particularly in drier periods, is crucial, although it is important to avoid waterlogged conditions.

The aesthetic appeal and manageable size of 'Orange Dream' make it a popular choice among gardeners seeking to add a touch of drama and sophistication to their landscapes.

The Acer palmatum 'Garnet is a captivating and popular deciduous tree renowned for its stunning foliage. This small, graceful tree features deeply dissected leaves with a delicate, lacy appearance, emerging as vibrant wine-red in the spring. Throughout the summer, the foliage maintains its rich garnet hue, providing a striking contrast against the greenery of other plants. In autumn, the leaves transition to a firey orange-red, adding a spectacular splash of colour to the landscape.

Royal Garnet has a vigorous, spreading habit, resulting in the formation of a mound-shaped shrub that will look breath-taking in any type of landscape.This acer starts with an upright, dense growth habit, slowly growing into a somewhat wider shape at five years of age. It thrives in well-drained, slightly acidic soil and prefers a sheltered location with partial shade, although it can tolerate full sun if given adequate moisture.

This cultivar is relatively low-maintenance, requiring minimal pruning to maintain its shape and health. It is also resistant to most pests and diseases. The Acer palmatum 'Royal Garnet' is highly valued for its year-round interest and ability to provide a touch of elegance and serenity to any garden setting. Its unique foliage and compact form make it a perfect addition to Japanese-style gardens, rockeries, and mixed borders.

Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan' is a distinctive, narrow, and upright tree, a unique cultivar of the Full Moon Maple. It's renowned for its striking golden-yellow foliage that shimmers in the light, bringing a vibrant splash of color to any garden, particularly in spring and autumn when the colors are most intense.

This tree typically reaches a height of about 10 to 15 feet, making it a compact and manageable addition to landscapes, perfect for smaller gardens or spaces where a broader canopy isn't suitable. Its upright growth habit, combined with its colorful presence, allows it to serve as an exquisite focal point or a complementary accent within diverse landscapes.

The leaves of 'Jordan' are particularly notable for their beauty; they exhibit a delicate and intricate texture, displaying a refined serration on the margins. In addition to its attractive foliage, the tree offers a subtle yet enchanting display of red flowers in spring, adding another layer of visual interest.

Resilient and relatively low-maintenance, Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan' is well-suited to a variety of soil types and conditions, although it prefers a sheltered location to protect its foliage from harsh winds and extreme sun, which can scorch the leaves. It's a radiant embodiment of horticultural elegance, combining form, texture, and color to create visual harmony within the garden.

Acer palmatum 'Garnet' is a medium-sized, vigorous deciduous shrub with a bushy, dense, capriciously growing, cascading habit and smooth, grey-brown bark. It has beautiful, feathery, deeply cut, red leaves that resemble the colour of garnet stone in spring and summer, and turn scarlet in autumn. Small, inconspicuous, purplish flowers bloom in spring and are followed by pink, winged fruits. It can grow in any soil type except clay, but thrives best in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. It prefers partial shade, but tolerates full sun very well. Easy to care for, it requires very little pruning. Lack of soil moisture or excessive exposure can cause leaf scorch. Acer palmatum 'Garnet' is a wonderful shrub that really stands out in the landscape and is probably the most used among similar cultivars. It is stunning as specimen plant, perfect for cottage and urban gardens, rock gardens, and roof gardens. Suitable for growing in containers as well.

Stem Height: 130cm
Ground to top: 180cm
Head width: 200cm

Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' is a distinct cultivar of Japanese Maple notable for its stunning autumn foliage, which transforms into brilliant shades of fiery red. This deciduous tree has an elegant, rounded form and typically reaches a height and spread of 15-20 feet, making it a spectacular feature in gardens, especially in autumn.

The leaves of 'Osakazuki' are palmate and lobed, displaying a lush green color through spring and summer, before their autumn transformation. These leaves have a uniquely refined texture, enhancing its aesthetic appeal throughout the growing season.

Ideal for small gardens, 'Osakazuki' prefers well-drained, moist soils and sheltered locations to protect its delicate foliage from harsh winds. It can thrive in full sun to partial shade, but for the best autumn color, a location with more sunlight is preferable.

This tree is relatively low-maintenance but benefits from regular watering, especially in dryer periods, and mulching to maintain soil moisture. Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' is highly resistant to pests and diseases, making it a robust choice for a wide range of landscapes. The vivid, extended display of autumn color, coupled with its graceful growth habit, renders 'Osakazuki' a coveted choice among garden enthusiasts.

Chamaerops compacta, a compact form of the Mediterranean fan palm, is an excellent choice for gardens where space is limited but a bold, architectural plant is desired. Its compact, clumping growth habit makes it particularly suitable for small gardens, courtyards, patios, and container planting. With its dense arrangement of fan-shaped, leathery green leaves, it adds texture and structure to planting schemes and pairs well with both modern and Mediterranean-style garden designs.

This palm is extremely hardy for a palm species, tolerating temperatures down to -10°C (14°F), making it suitable for temperate climates. It prefers full sun but can adapt to part shade, and thrives in well-drained soil. Once established, it is drought-tolerant, making it a low-maintenance choice for water-wise gardens.

Chamaerops compacta’s naturally tidy, clump-forming habit means it rarely needs pruning, and it remains relatively low in height, typically reaching 1–1.5 meters. It also resists wind and salt, making it a good option for coastal gardens. Whether used as a focal point, a textural accent, or part of a mixed border, this palm brings year-round interest and resilience to the garden.

Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens' is a small, evergreen tree of widely conical to broadly oval habit with spiny, toothed, extremely glossy, emerald green leaves. Small, greenish-white flowers that bloom in spring are followed by abundant and long-lasting crop of attractive, large, orange to red, berries in autumn and winter. It’s a female, partially self-pollinating plant.

'Nellie R. Stevens' Holly is a cross between English holly (ilex aquifolium) and Chinese holly (ilex cornuta). It can grow in various soil types, but prefers fertile, medium moist, well-drained soils. It thrives in full sun or partial shade. It can withstand frost and wind, but needs to be sheltered from drying winter winds. It is suitable for coastal areas and low maintenance plant.

Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens' is great as a specimen plant, good for hedges and screens, foundations, path edgings, and for growing in containers. Its branches with glossy leaves and red berries are typical Christmas decoration.