The RSPB suggests what to grow for an allotment, hedge, garden and paddock
Trees are a fantastic ally if you’re trying to encourage wildlife to your outdoor space. As well as providing safe nesting sites, song perches and spots to shelter in, many trees produce blossom for pollinators, as well as berries, fruits, seeds or nuts. There are also the wider benefits to the environment. Trees store carbon, protect the soil, and help to cool gardens in hot weather which is particularly useful if you live in a town or city which can experience even higher temperatures. And they can even be grown in pots, or in small gardens – but not all allotments allow tree growing, so be sure to check before stocking up.
Now is a great time of year to get planting. In December you can buy trees that are bare-rooted, meaning they have been lifted out of the ground during its non-growing season. They are simply lifted out, shaken off, and popped in a bag. This makes them much easier to handle, transport and plant, and they’re also much cheaper.
Apart from occasionally watering during the first year they will largely take care of themselves, so the main work is done in the planting. Make sure to stake your tree so it doesn’t fall over. About a third of the way up the tree will do it – this will mean the upper half of the tree still has a chance to sway and get some strength in its trunk. There are plenty of tree varieties that will grow in pots or small spaces, but be prepared to water them more regularly in the growing season.
Best trees for a wildlife-friendly mini-forest
Here are some of easiest, wildlife-friendly trees to grow in your own outdoor space.
● Fruit trees – most allotments allow fruit trees, and they can be brilliant for wildlife. Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris), for example, produce beautiful pink or white blossoms in spring and colourful fruits in autumn. Robins, Starlings, Greenfinches and thrushes love the fruit, along with many dozens of insect species. Malus sylvestris is native to the UK but other hybrid species will do great as well. The joy of fruit trees is that you can of course reap the rewards as well – though in the case of the crab apple we’d recommend consuming in crab apple jelly as they are very tart straight from the tree.
● Holly (Ilex aquifolium). Good for bees, and it also provides food for the caterpillars of the Holly Blue butterfly. Its berries are eaten by a wide variety of birds including Blackbirds, Mistle Thrushes and Fieldfares. It is diocecious though, meaning it has sep
