Another excellent evergreen is the magnolia tree Magnolia grandiflora, which is known for its fragrant waxy cream flowers and large dark green glossy leaves.
It is good for growing against a border because it spreads itself out wide, but you would need to keep it in check: Magnolia grandifloras can grow to 40ft (12m) high.
Deciduous trees are better if you want autumn colour. Almost any Japanese maple will provide you with fiery reds and oranges, but the Acer griseum goes one better and has bronze-brown bark that looks like it is peeling off – hence its common name the paperbark maple.
Silver birch trees are used by garden designers specifically because of their white trunks, which stand out particularly well in winter.
Betula jacquemontii is one of the most popular varieties, because of its extra-white bark, but it can grow to more than 40ft.
If that is going to cause problems, it is possible to buy silver birches that have had their main leader cut out so that other branches grow to produce smaller multi-stemmed trees.
And for those of you who love spring blossom you can’t get much better than the flowering cherry tree Prunus serrulata ‘Mount Fuji’.
It is a frothy pale pink bouquet in spring but also has a shiny bronze trunk for winter interest and its leaves turn yellow and red in autumn – so it works all year round.
But if you are a practical type your best bet is to plant a fruit tree. Apple, pear, plum, cherry – they all have lovely spring blossom as well as autumn colour and you have the added bonus of free fruit.
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