Milan Havlis - gardening

Tree peonies are beautiful, woody shrubs. Unlike the perennial type, these make woody branches that slowly form a low, mounding shrub. Flowers are large, often double or full, of all possible colours – white, cream, yellow, orange, various shades of pink, purple and red, even violet. ...

You can tell by the name where this medium sized tree comes from: former Persia (current Iran). Rather unusual tree maintains branches from the ground. It has moderate growth rate and does excellently in our climate. It can grow to 3-6 m. Attractive beech-like leaves are 7-13 cm long, bright grass g ...

We have another lovely tree for you who have small gardens but love large trees. This is a compact version of Persian ironwood called Vanessa. . Deciduous leaves of this rather columnar, tall shrub are smooth and slightly glossy, with prominent veins, light green when they em ...

Parrotiopsis is a rare plant from West Himalayas. Its name recalls parrotia and the similar feature are its leaves. They are fresh green, wrinkled and glossy. It is cultivated mostly for the unusual flowers that come out in mid spring. They are small flower heads made up from many yellow a ...

This paulownia species is notable for its pyramidal, nearly fastigiated crown. It has large, light to mid green, hairy, heart-shaped leaves, 20-30 cm long and wide. It bears upright panicles of beautiful fragrant funnel-shaped flowers that are pinkish lilac on the outside and have yellow marks insid ...

One of the most magnificent trees of our climate comes from East Asia and is called the Princess Tree or Empress Tree or even Foxglove Tree. Its main feature is giant leaves which can be as much as 30 cm long and wide, very hairy, pale to deep green. Thanks to them empress trees are often mis ...

Blue Spire is a hybrid between two types of perovskia. It was first introduced to RHS in 1961 and since late 80´s it has been in cultivation in most of the world with mild climate. It is a very hardy plant originally found in Central Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan) but is successfu ...

Little Spire is a lovely dwarf variety of Russian sage. It is a very hardy plant originally found in Central Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan) but it is successfully grown even further north. Flowers are borne in 50-60 cm tall panicles, they are violet and appear from mid-summer ...

Belle Etoile is one the hybrids raised at the turn of the 19th century by a French botanist Pierre Lemione. It is popular for the large, bridal-white flowers with a light maroon blotch in the centre, strong fragrance and prolonged flowering period. It is a compact shrub compared to oth ...

Mock orange is a reliable and absolutely maintenance-free shrub of old European gardens. It is popular for its snow white flowers, in case of this hybrid they are medium-sized or large with slight purple shade in the centre. They come out in early or mid summer and release heavy fragrance tha ...

Mock orange is a reliable and absolutely maintenance-free shrub of old European gardens. It is popular for its snow white, scented flowers. They are single on this variety and come out profusely every year in early summer. They release a heavy fragrance that can hardly be mistaken for anythin ...

Snowgoose variety comes from Canada and bears medium-sized flowers that are white with 4 tepals and creamy yellow stamens. Their fragrance is nice and sweet but very light as opposed to the species. It has compact, predominantly upright habit with less arching branches. Snowgoose grow ...

Mock orange is a reliable and absolutely maintenance-free shrub of old European gardens. It is popular for its snow white flowers, in case of this variety they are double, which come out in early or mid summer. They release a heavy fragrance that can hardly be mistaken for anything else. It flowers ...

Dart’s Gold is a variety of common ninebark with bright yellowish-green, 3-lobed leaves, which appear early in the spring, probably at the same time as when magnolias start blooming. Clusters of white flowers are tiny but the shrub is covered with them in May. This shrub is an excellent, fully ...

Ninebark is a low-maintenance deciduous plant which is available in several varieties offering various leaf colours and shapes. Diabolo® is a variety with deep maroon red 3-lobed leaves, which appear early in the spring. Clusters of pink flowers are tiny but the shrub is cov ...

Ninebark is a low-maintenance deciduous shrub which is available in several varieties offering different leaf colour and shape. Summer Wine® is a patented new variety from 2005. It is a cross between varieties Nana and ...

Lady in Red is a new sport of common ninebark with 3-lobed leaves, which appear early in the spring. It was first sown in 2000 in Norfolk, England. Unlike Diabolo® variety this one has brighter shade of red in the leaves and forms a dense and regular-shaped shrub from young ...

Some trees have identity crisis and scientists are trying to trace up their true origin. As these efforts often end up in argumentative sessions we tend to choose the easiest possible explanation. In the case of this London plane tree we rather believe it comes from Cenozoic platanus aceroide ...

Alphen’s Globe has been a sought after small tree in the last decade or so since it offers beauty of its parent – plane tree - but much smaller dimensions which make it suitable even for small gardens. Its deciduous leaves are large – 20 cm wide, glossy gree ...

This flowering cherry is a cross between prunus sargentii and prunus subhirtella. It has profusion of pale pink, semi-double flowers which open from deep pink buds in mid spring. Leaves are dark green, to 10 cm long. It forms an irregular, wide crown, ideal as a specimen. It does not need much maint ...

Looking into the crown of this Japanese flowing cherry it is clear why people in Japan take a bow in front of them and organize sakura festivals. It is not only because of their beauty, they also believe that their trunks hold spirits of the dead, and finally they manifest the new life emerging in e ...

Another treasure from the flowering cherry box was probably derived from prunus serrulata with serrated leaves. This small tree has almost horizontal branches with drooping ends. Snow white, single or semi-double fragrant flowers are large and born in pendent clusters in April. Mid-green oblong leav ...

Bergeron apricot is a famous and reliable variety grown around the world. Its flowers are susceptible to frost. Self-fertile. The fruit is rounded or oblong, mid-sized to large, orange with red blush. They ripen early: from mid-summer. They are aromatic and sweet, medium juicy, with ...

This uncommon flowering cherry comes from Taiwan. It is a small tree, well branched even without trimming, with neony pink flowers with yellow stamens. Ideal for japanese style gardens, or anywhere to highlight its surroundings with the splash of early spring colour. Needs acidic soil, evenly moist, ...

This ornamental cherry plum is popular in demand for its deep burgundy leaves, almost no maintenance at all and no special soil requirements. Deciduous leaves are ovate to elliptic, of deep burgundy red colour. Such shade is perfect to break an overall green landscape with or to be used i ...

Ornamental cherry Mikinori received its name after the Japanese botanist Mikinori Ogisu. This small tree has white to pale pink flowers with crimson red to deep burgundy centers, stamens and cups. The flowers are semi-double and appear in early to mid spring – usually in April. Incisa means de ...

This flowering plum is a popular flowering tree although very few people even know its name. It is a slow to medium fast growing small tree which makes a handsome crown with profusion of flowers early in the spring, sooner than any Japanese flowering cherry. In our garden it is the first heav ...

This flowering plum is a unique shrub of small-sized gardens. Thanks to its size it is suitable for even the smallest of gardens. The main feature – flowers – appear earliest of all flowering cherries and plums. They are soft pink with yellow stamens and there is always profusion of them ...

When in full bloom this Japanese apricot is a true eye-catcher. Benishidore is a variety with dark pink single flowers which appear early in the spring and may be followed by small, spherical, hairy, edible fruit of sour to bitter taste. It is a small tree with a wide crown reaching about 2.5m high ...

European bird cherry is native to our continent, it wildly grows in all its parts except for its hottest southern regions. Variety “Colorata” is grown in gardens for its beautiful pink flowers that are born in upright racemes and have a lovely fragrance. Young leaves are bronze red turni ...

Nigra is a spectacular new variety of dwarf ornamental peach with edible fruit. It has profusion of typical peach-like, light pink flowers that are clustered along short branches in a dense crown. The leaves are fantastic deep burgundy red and glossy, narrow and elongated, and n ...

Pink Peachy is a dwarf variety of ornamental peach with edible fruit. It has profusion of typical peach-like, pink flowers that are clustered along short branches in a dense crown. The leaves are mid green, semi-glossy, narrow and elongated, and not much smaller than on a classi ...

Red Peachy is a dwarf variety of ornamental peach with edible fruit. It has profusion of typical peach-like, red flowers that are clustered along short branches in a dense crown. The leaves are mid green, semi-glossy, narrow and elongated, and not much smaller than on a classic ...

Not only Japanese ornamental cherries can create the typical spring atmosphere in your garden. We have an exquisite small tree with flowers that can easily beat cherries. It is an ornamental flowering peach with quite large, bowl-shaped pink flowers with numerous deep pink to red stamens. Leaves hav ...

Spring in the garden is announced by flowering japanese cherries. Variety Amanogawa has double or semi-double, light pink flowers that may turn to clear white. Young leaves are bronze, turning to green, and yellow with purple veins in the autumn. It has columnar habit and never spreads to sides whic ...

Just like many beautifully flowering trees or shrubs, this flowering cherry too comes from China. It even bears a name of an ancient tendai buddhist temple. Kanzan is a small sized tree with double pink to magenta flowers which come out in early April and follow throughout the spring. It is probably ...

True pink is the colour of this beautiful Cheal´s Weeping Cherry. Either a standard or a half standard tree, this flowering cherry always has rather pendulous branches forming a wide crown. Double flowers appear on bare branches at the end of April and continue throughout May already with ...

God bless all botanists who restlessly create new and yet more beautiful crosses and hybrids of plants, so we can enjoy splashes of colours and abundant flowering in our gardens. Many of us thought Kanzan to be the best flowering and the most beautiful cherry. Well, get ready for a ...

The prunus genus contains over 400 species which are useful and beautiful at the same time. There are cherries, plums, peaches or sloes, as well as flowering Japanese cherries, cherry laurels etc. This variety received its name for the season in which it can re-flower if the end of autumn is warm. < ...

The prunus genus contains over 400 species which are useful and beautiful at the same time. There are cherries, plums, peaches or sloes, as well as flowering japanese cherries, cherry laurels etc. This variety received its name for the season in which it can re-flower if the end of autumn is warm. H ...

The prunus genus contains over 400 species which are useful and beautiful at the same time. There are cherries, plums, peaches or sloes, as well as flowering japanese cherries, cherry laurels etc. Weeping higan cherry has bright pink buds and flowers, branches can soon reach the ground. It is the ri ...

This higan cherry has snow white flowers, and a weeping form with branches touching the ground if grafted onto half-standard. These trees are often grafted, they are usually 3-4m tall, 5-6m in maturity. Its weeping crown needs some space so find it a good location with plenty of sunlight. Needs mois ...

If you like spring profusion of cherry flowers this small tree, although called flowering almond, is definitely a must-have. Its unique, soft pink, double flowers appear on bare wood and come out reliably every year making this small tree a regular attraction. It grows about 3m tall and i ...

A beautiful ornamental plum tree with deep purple leaves. Flowers appear in May, after the leaves have started to wrap out, and they are pale, nearly white with light purple tint. They do not flower as richly as the flowering cherries, however, this small tree is exquisite for its foliage. The small ...

From Caucasus and Northern Iran comes one of my absolutely top favourites – wing nut. Its large leaves, fruit and monumental statue predetermine this tree to become the most significant feature of any large garden or a park. Leaves are pinnate, glossy, upto 40 cm long, compound of 15 ...

Epaulette tree comes from China and Japan. It is a mid-sized, often multi-stemmed tree or spreading shrub. Its main attraction are fragrant, showy pendent panicles of creamy white flowers in early summer that are followed by interesting, oblong 5-ribbed fruit, covered in yellow-brown bristles. Flowe ...