What trees to plant

[CynicalSurvival]

I've been cutting back a few trees/shrubs that are in my view pretty useless for anything except firewood e.g. laurel, and I was wondering what to replace them with. Ideally I'd like everything in my garden to be:

- useful
- edible
- perennial
- a native species that grows well

As many as possible of the above if not all. For example I'm keeping a small patch of bamboo cause it is so damn useful even though non native.

Any suggestions what trees I should plant in my new gaps? And should I keep holly trees, or chop them too and replace with fruit trees? If you had a top 5 of trees to plant, what would be in it? THANKS!

[Brambles]

Jut a few of my favourites.

Hazel
Bullace
Crabapple
Sloe
Chestnut
Birch
Willow

I vote keep the Holly.

Have a look at the Woodland Trust site to give you some ideas.

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visitin ... ive-trees/

[CynicalSurvival]

Thanks - chestnut is a great idea, I see you can get a few as hedging plants for not too much money so I'll definitely consider those:
http://www.primrose.co.uk/-p-90226.html ... oCEsXw_wcB

Bullace I'd never heard of! Sounds excellent from what I've learned through google.

I should have mentioned that very large trees like oak or scots pine are not really suitable for the spaces in question.

[Arzosah]

Seconding the ones that Brambles has suggested, plus hawthorn, maybe beech, maybe elder, quince (big thorns!) or silver birch (sap! and other uses too.

[featherstick]

Damson

Easy, self-fertile, versatile, need to be planted as they are not being grown so much, native.

That's what we're putting in later this year.

[CynicalSurvival]

Great - thanks! Useful suggestions

[ForgeCorvus]

Ash, I'd coppice it along with the Hazel.

Blackthorn (Sloe), Hawthorn and Holly all make good hedging.

Apple, Damson, Crab-apple, Cherry, Pear, Plum, Medlar,... The list of fruiting trees is nearly endless, they nearly all have dense wood thats also quite pretty. They can be managed to keep them small.

[CynicalSurvival]

Thanks! Coppiced Ash sounds great.

I just recently read that hawthorn leaves are edible, as are birch and beech

[Arzosah]

In relation to ash, check out what the local situation is about ash die-back disease - the arboricultural peeps might have a useful opinion.

http://www.trees.org.uk/find-a-professi ... e-an-ArbAC

http://tcia.org/

http://www.treesurgeonsregister.com/assoc.php

http://treesforlife.org.uk/

(Sorry for the number of them! I started googling and couldn't stop )

[junmist]

Woodland trust gives away FREE trees and hedging plants every autumn if that is a help find them on facebook and they will let you know when they have them