Danielb wrote:

Hi,

I'm new to this group and gardening, having just bought my first house. I am
currently attempting to tame my back garden (the previous owners had done
nothing for a whole year), once I have expanded the lawn into the old
allotment and border I would like to plant a cherry tree. But I am not sure
about what type of tree or the best place to plant it. I want something that
will stay pretty small (under 12ft tall) and will withstand the Scottish
weather.
Any advice on verities to look at or where to plant it?

Cheers,

Daniel

Scotland is cold, isn't it?

Sour pie cherries are more winter hardy than sweet cherries, and most
(if not all) varieties are self-pollinating. And the trees are
naturally semi-dwarf. Sweet cherry trees are a lot taller (unless
grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock) and they need a pollinator.

I live in Minnesota, and my cherry tree is either "Meteor" or
"Northstar" -- I can't remember which. That probably doesn't help much
if you are in the UK, but just look for any sour pie cherry variety you
can get locally and you should be OK. With minimal pruning it should
top out at about 12 feet tall, and begin fruiting in about 2 years.

Best regards,
Bob

--
"Stealing a Rhinoceros should not be attempted lightly" --Kehlog Albran