Project wildlife garden

Why does it have to be a tree? It seems to me that you have already talked yourself out of having a tree imo. What about some kind of trellis / obelisk like structure or an arch covered in wildlife friendly plants?

Having said that you could do what I've done and plant a Rowan. The bees love the pollen and the birds eat the berries in the autumn/ winter. You can get quite compact varieties and they are a lot taller than goat willows. The foliage is also quite lose so it wouldn't block out that much sunlight.

Perhaps you may be looking for a large shrub rather than a small tree, which are much easier to control and shouldn't effect the foundations of your house as much as a tree would. Shrubs like Buddleja, Hazel (the corkscrew kind would make a good focal point - or you could coppice it and get future plant supports from it for years to come), Lilac, Ceonathus (can be trained into a small tree), Mahonia, Elderberry. Perhaps even a Hawthorn too? It depends on the space you have and the height you want for the plant really.

 

Thanks. I was thinking of a dwarf fruit tree, maybe plum. One that gives blossom early then fruit later, so there's colour and a wildlife home for a while but that doesn't grow beyond about 6-8 foot. My neighbour stopped to say hello while we were out digging yesterday and she has a plum that's doing well in the front. But I like your ideas. An arch would be lovely. Really changes how I'm thinking about the space.

Suddenly, because they can see some changes in the garden, the rest of the family are interested and I had some help digging it over yesterday, so I'm more than half way through and we just flipped the grass over, so I guess we'll be weeding for a while.

I need pictures don't I! I'll get them today.

 

You could also get a crab apple instead? Make some crab apple jelly. I think the crab apple harbours a lot of wildlife too. I'm contemplating getting one still...Elderberries the blackbirds love and you make wines from the berries and jellys from blossom.

I wish I had some help digging. Other half just stands and watches me or takes no interest whatsoever, except on my birthday.

 

A quick update. I decided to focus on the front garden for now. It's smaller and south facing so a bit easier for a novice. The back also has the drainage problems which are a bigger job than I'm ready for just.

So, I turned over the turf and sowed some cornfield flowers. They're starting to come up (as is quite a bit of the grass unfortunately, and some weeds. Next year I'll prepare the ground more effectively.) I've grown some sunflower seeds and potted up some bedding plants. The birds have a fair few feeders in the hedge/shrubs and we have mostly house sparrows visiting the front, with dunnocks, blackbirds and an occasional wood pigeon eating the seeds I sowed. Still, it's a start. Pictures to follow.

 

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The house turns into a greenhouse at night. I'm putting the plants outside during the day as much as I can and when the frosts have gone I'll pot them out.

I've ordered about a dozen different veg seeds too and gathering things to grow them in. There are potatoes and rhubarb already growing outside and some cucumber inside too. There's the beginnings of a pond in one of the belfast sinks and another tiny one at the back, but they need tipping out and starting again.

 

Things are coming along for you Sniffy, the plants in the pictures look healthy so they should do well when planted out.

 

A quick update. This has been a lot of fun and it looks lovely.

 

I'll be changing the border along the back for next year, and I'm still toying with the idea of something central, though I also like the thought of a path through the flowers.

 

That looks amazing sniffy!

I would put some kind on feature in the middle personally. Something quite tall, so it looks like it's standing in a sea of flowers.

 

There's a lovely assortment of flowers there sniffy, really pretty!