7 most beautiful trees for an attractive front garden all year round

When children are shown plants and taught to identify them, they are encouraged to see more than just flowers. They look at the texture, the shape of the leaves, the patterns of the bark. All of these things make the tree beautiful, even if it doesn’t have much bloom. And in a front garden, where you see a tree up close every day, all year round, these different aesthetic qualities can generate so much interest. The more you watch, the more pleasure you get.

Our front gardens are a special place and not only us owners can enjoy them as a secret hideaway hidden in privacy behind high fences or hedges. They add beauty and ambiance to the road you live on for everyone to enjoy. A well-designed tree in the front garden, which feels great in such conditions, will not only look beautiful. It can provide food and habitat for wildlife, as well as help slow water flow and prevent flooding. In summer, the tree creates shade and reduces the urban heat island effect.

From beautiful bark to vibrant spring color to deep red fall berries, here are seven of the best trees for an attractive front garden year-round.

Note. All of the trees below can be pruned and kept well kept small and trim by an annual effort to reduce crown size and establish a growth habit where necessary.

Mimosa in flowers.Jacques LOC

For the hit neon spring color: mimosa (Acacia delbata)

There comes a time in early spring when all the mimosas begin to bloom, usually in early March, and I again wonder why I don’t have a single mimosa in my garden. In some parts of west London they are particularly good; there are some impressive examples on one road in Chiswick. Their spring arrangement of bright yellow pom-pom flowers even smells delicious. And with its feathery evergreen leaves, it will also give you a good dose of ferny greenery all year round.

Jackie Parker Photography

For abundant blooms and spectacular winter bark: Serrated prune

In Japan, these trees are so revered that from March to May (depending on the climate), festivals are held throughout the country to celebrate their flowering season. Although most of the garden varieties we see today come from Western Asia, in the UK cherries have become synonymous with spring. Besides the cloudy, fluffy white and pink flowers, which range in shape from dense and compact to more open and delicate, the cherry tree has very distinctive bark. Varieties such as Serrated prune have dark red bark that peels off with age. This mahogany shade can brighten up a gray winter day in town or country, creating a bright ambiance when the sun shines.

dogwood, detail of a flowering branchffaber53

Three long and wonderful seasons of interest: Cornus mas

Dogwood cherry, Cornus mashas delicate small flowers that appear in February; an explosion of yellow fireworks scattered across its bare bark at a time of year when we desperately need a little fun. A compact tree, it will not dominate the garden and will not provide too much shade. In mid-summer, bright red shiny fruits appear, edible. In the fall, the leaves turn reddish-purple, with the beautiful, slightly drooping leaves characteristic of corn.

I love these trees so much that I recently placed one as a one-of-a-kind specimen just a few feet from a client’s kitchen window. It will enhance the view from her dining table and provide a soft connection to the changing seasons in her small London garden. Originally from Central and Southern Europe. Cornus mas was introduced to Britain in the late 1890s.