Which tree?

Beech is an excellent choice for chalk but is slow growing. What about Rowan? I think it will tolerate chalk and would be an excellent choice for attracting wildlife and is attractive. Spindle I think is best in a hedge and maybe not such a good choice as a 'specimen' tree which seems to be what this space is asking for.

 

My favourite trees are Rowan (Sorbus) i wasn't too sure if they would be ok on chalk but presuming Redwing is correct then go for my all time favourite Sorbus Sargentiana. Great tree which doesn't on 1st glance look like a Sorbus. Has big red sticky buds in Spring, huge bunches of orange berries that birds love and autumn colour to die for and it's habit is for the branches to curve upwards rather than outwards so you wouldn't need to chop it back from interfering with the gate.The photo is of 1 I planted. Photo was taken about 3 years on from when I got it and just about past the hellish lollipop stage. It is quite a bit bigger/thicker girthed now some 8 or so years since planting.

 

I looked up @silu 's recommendation on the RHS website. It isn't recommended for chalk but other rowans are. See:

Help, advice & tips from the RHS on all kinds of plants / RHS Gardening

 

Ta for the suggestions everyone

Tetters made a phonecall and tracked down a couple of varigated Liriodendron for £12 each so we went and picked them up

Both about 6 feet tall so will use one of them there and bonsai the other one

 

Hi @Zigs - where do you get variegated tulip trees at 6 feet tall for that price???

 

Hi Caroline

Just up the road from us...

Meadow Grange Nursery

 

6ft tall Bonsai?

 

To go with my dwarf metasequoia

 

There is a not quite mature variegated Liriodendron in Upton Country Park near here, it is about 70ft high!

 

Best keep em bonsaied then

 

Liriodendron are quite slow growing. As a child, my parents planted one outside the bedroom window of my sister and me, thinking it would shade the bedroom from the evening sun......needless to say, we grew up before the shaded bedroom occurred!

 

Aah, the old "move out before the tree gets you kids" ploy