Nymans in West Sussex has a significant collection of trees, including 31 champions and material wild-collected by plant hunters Ernest Wilson and Frank Kingdon-Ward. There's also a wide range of ornamental spring-flowering trees to see such as Magnolia, Stewartia, Styrax, Cornus and Halesia.
Among the highlights are a rare and fine champion Meliosma veitchiorum, one of Wilson’s original handkerchief trees and interesting Chilean plants including Laurelia sempervirens and evergreen Maytenus boaria.
'Although Nymans is a large garden, it is always on an intimate scale, with surprise and charm around every corner. The finest flowering trees have been planted extensively, creating a sense of drama and fantasy - especially in spring,' says Garden & Countryside Manager Ed Ikin.
Ed Ikin's recommendations for a small garden:
Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’
A compact Japanese maple with brilliant orange-scarlet autumn colour.
Cornus kousa var. chinensis
This small tree offers year-round interest: red and orange autumn colour, creamy bracts in late spring and strawberry-like summer fruit, as well as fine bark. Height to 3-4m, spread 2m.
Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’
An exceptional flowering tree smothered in deep pink bracts in late spring. Autumn foliage turning purple and deep red.
Styrax japonicus
An elegant medium-sized tree, with bell-shaped flowers borne profusely in spring and yellow-orange leaves in autumn. Height to 6–8m.
See small tree recommendations from Bluebell Arboretum