The ornamental oriental

The Japanese garden is an experience – and example of plants in harmony with their surroundings. Colour can be of vital importance – with green being pretty high on the agenda. Except in spring when the world needs cheering up, particularly after a vicious winter.

What better way than with a Japanese cherry? These stunning ornamentals burst into bloom in March and April; there's nothing quite like them for catching the eye.

Since they arrived in this country, they have invaded millions of gardens and parks and still line many suburban streets. Unfortunately, the planners who put them there didn't know that many have shallow roots which creep near to the soil surface and which push up paths and pavements or cause chaos on lawns.

There's one other drawback to these Japanese wonders – they can't fight Britain's spring winds and showers which always seem to arrive at the height of flowering time, transforming the blooms into so much gutter-blown confetti.

But before that happens again, the Japanese will, once again, be joys to behold.

Prunus 'Kuki-shidare sakura' is a name to remember, and a tree to enjoy. It's considered one of the best weeping cherries for a small garden. In April, it bursts out in a mass of double, rose-pink flowers.

Not far behind in the popularity stakes is P 'Amanogawa' which produces a column of shell-pink flowers.

Neither, however, have proved as popular as P 'Kanzan', the gaudiest of them all, with purple-pink flowers which gradually tone down as the season progresses.

But perhaps the finest of them all waits until autumn before it shows the world just what an ornamental cherry can do.

P sargentii flowers well enough in April, but come September, it rivals the maples for brilliant leaf colour. The entire tree becomes a blaze of orange and crimson.

One or two members of the family have something more to offer than just a few brief days of spring glory – P subhirtella 'Autumnalis' starts to flower when most plants are closing down for winter. From October until well into the following year, it produces a constant supply of small pink flowers.

P serrula is another ornamental – this time from China – but it's not planted for its flowers, it's planted for its bark – copper traced with mahogany red.

And, last but not least, the late-flowering P 'Shirofugen' which produces large double blooms opening white and fading to deep pink.

Beauties galore.