I must stop using song names as the titles 😉 I did get the idea for the title, after reading an article about tree seeds, that were taken into orbit around the moon and back. These were known as the ‘Moon Trees‘, out of 500 seeds, between 420-450 of the seeds germinated, they included many trees varieties with interesting bark. The story is true … but it’s just an excuse to have a Ozzy song at the end.

What is the first thing that hits you when you walk into a garden? (with me it is usually a low branch or one of the other gardeners) Colour, sound, smells, movement? There is also a lot of beauty in a garden that is not always that obvious … not at first anyway.

Bark, this comes in all colours, patterns, textures and sometimes smell, along with the shape of the trunk/stem on trees and shrubs, it is also present all year round.

As a kid, I would have captured this by doing bark rubbings with some crayons and paper, but this time I used my camera phone instead.

The London Plane. It is a hybrid between Platanus Occidentalis and Platanus Orientalis. A large deciduous tree that can reach over 30m in height.

Tree of Heaven. Fast growing large deciduous tree, that has a terrible habit of suckering everywhere. It has wonderful markings on the bark.

Corsican Pine or European Black Pine. A large evergreen tree that can reach 40 metres in height. The bark is grey to yellow-brown and splits with age.

Manna Ash. Lovely smooth bark, this is a medium size deciduous tree that has creamy white scented flowers in May.

Giant Redwood, Wellingtonia or Big Tree. This has a beautiful red/brown soft feeling bark to it. It is the worlds largest tree by volume and the longest living thing on earth that can live for over 3,000 years.

Paperbark Maple. A small deciduous tree that has chestnut-brown papery bark, the leaves turn red and orange in the autumn.

The Black Mulberry Tree. Deciduous trees that have a beautiful gnarled framework to them, but most important of all is the fruit … and this cannot be eaten without leaving evidence.

West Himalayan Birch. Beautiful white/pink brown peeling bark, a large deciduous fast growing tree, with ovate leaves that turn yellow in the autumn.

Hybrid strawberry tree. A large evergreen shrub that is crossed with Arbutus andrachne and Arbutus unedo. It has beautiful red-brown peeling bark, this looks more impressive with age; white/pink flowers from autumn.

Bladdernut. A deciduous ornamental shrub or small tree, has beautiful white fragrant flowers in May/June.

Red Snakebark Maple. A small deciduous tree, leaves are green in spring and summer, turning red and yellow in the autumn.

Pere David’s Maple. Another snakebark maple, it is native to China and was discovered by Father Armand David in 1878.

Holm Oak, Evergreen Oak or Holly Oak. Quercus ilex is a large evergreen  tree that has finely cracked bark.

Now I had to fit a couple of bamboos in somewhere, as they are often grown for their stems.

The Silver Birch. One of the most commonly known trees that is grown for its bark, a wonderful medium sized deciduous tree, with ovate leaves that turn yellow in the autumn.

Voss’s Laburnum. Small deciduous tree that has yellow flowers in the spring, wonderful patterns on the bark.

The Pride of India. A small deciduous tree with pinnate leaves, pink in the spring turning yellow in the autumn.

Rice Paper Plant. A wonderful hardy exotic plant, with an interesting stem and leaves that reach over a metre wide.

Oh, here’s that video……..