Same as most Aussies, I love the outdoors. I wouldn’t trade spending time getting fresh air in my garden with anything. Matthew has shown me various times he loves the outdoors just as much, enjoying getting his hands dirty helping me with the soil and planting.

Knowing how beneficial soil can be, with its harmless Mycobacterium vaccae, in boosting the immune system and helping with the emotional and mental health, I make sure we have as much family time bonding over sharing garden chores, as playing shape sorting games. One of the recent challenges we’ve dealt with was planting ornamental trees. I say challenges because we haven’t had trees before that, let alone ornamental…

Truth be told, we had different reasons, my husband and I, as to why we wanted a tree in the first place. I wanted a bit of a shade, he wanted for us to add a bit of curb appeal, so after a search through an online nursery, we opted for a Green Vase, that goes by the Latin name Zelcova serrata. Ideal for the urban conditions, it thrives well in medium wet, though well-drained soil, and grows up to 14 metres.

It’s important to note, the tree is a long-term investment, and when purchasing, it’s advisable to see how and where it is sold, whether it had enough room for the roots, so when you plant it in the garden it can grow well. There’s more homework to be done, like getting to know what the watering needs are of the ornamental trees of your interest, whether it can withstand some drought, the soil they thrive in, how they handle exposure to direct sun, the kind of fertiliser they require, how much pruning has to be done, and whether they can be espaliered.

Another aspect to consider and ask from the specialists of the nursery is how much of space the trees need to set the roots, how much of width they would take once fully grown, so you’d know they wouldn’t have other plants in the way. Remember, there’s a difference in the care for deciduous and evergreen trees.

Though our beautiful Zelcova serrata still isn’t fully grown, this Japanese beauty already started showing its rich colours, and we can’t wait to see what it turns like in autumn. As soon as it fully develops, we’re planning on putting up a bird house and hopefully we’d enjoy the sight and sound of birds soon enough.

One last thing I have to say about trees is, if you don’t know how to handle taking care of them, don’t hesitate to call professional arborists. For now, my husband and I can carry out the pruning ourselves, but as soon as those new grown branches, so called “weepers”, start bending, we wouldn’t think twice about getting some professional help, to keep the beautiful vase shape of the tree that it’s had since we bought it, and ensure the branches continue growing strong.