Trees and shrubs

[collierd]

Hello

I get a lot of birds in my back garden but it's not particularily well secluded.
I have a 10 metre long 2m high wall that I would like to run some trees/shrubs along such that they reach 2.5 to 3 metres in height.
I would like to hang a few extra bird feeders in this area.
Also, we have had nesting blackbirds last year and I would like to encourage them back.
Could anybody recommend any trees/shrubs or even hedges (although I don't want to run this all the way along) that would encourage more birds into my back garden

Thanks

Damian.

[StuartDH]

Hi Damian, and welcome to Wild About Britain.

I've got a Beech hedge in my garden that's about 25ft long and 8ft high. Throughout the day it's home to about a dozen birds, including a few dunnocks, sparrows, blackbirds, a wren and a Jay. There seems to be quite a bit of nest building going on inside it and as it's quite big, with lots of twisted branches, the neighbourhood cats can't get into it.

Stuart

[nightshade]

Hi collierd If you look in the garden forum (and sonme others you should get some info)
My own 6mtr run of hedge planted less than 2years ago is now around 3 mtrs tall and contains alder, hazel, hawthorn, dogwood dog rose etc; cost not a lot, and gives immense pleasure from birds insects and small mammals woodmice, bats(which hunt the tops)
Plenty of suppliers on the net and still time to plant go on you will enjoy the investment for years

[Tursiops]

Hallo collierd, welcome to the forum. There are a lot of options open to you when it comes to planting for wildlife, but more information is needed: i.e. which way does your wall face (are you on the sunny side or the shady side)? Is it your wall, or a party wall, or owned by your neighbour? How much space do you have for planting at the base of the wall? What sort of soil do you have? What part of the country are you in? Etc., etc.

I'm a qualified garden designer and if you can post this info, and if possible a photograph or two, as a new thread in the Gardens forum, I'd be happy to advise.

ATB
Tursiops

[collierd]

Thanks for the ideas everybody
We do get bats as bell and I never really considered them

[Paul mabbott]

Good idea. Our garden is surrounded by hedges, mature beech down one side, hawthorn (with bramble and honeysuckle) at the end and a mish-mash, originally conifer and beech but now including privet, willows, Buddleja, apple, blackthorn, broom, holly, Pyracantha, hazel ....
I'd recommend the last, mixed hedge: different fruit/seeds, at different times of year for the birds, different nest cover, different flowers for butterflies and, of course, the mixture of leaves feed a variety of insects.
The dense, spiney ones (blackthorn, Pyracantha) are good both as protected nesting sites and for berries. The other advantage of this type of hedge is that if something doesn't grow, you don't have to struggle with it - just try something else! And always stick with anything that seeds itself naturally - they'll do better.
Finally, if your wall is free-standing (not a house wall) then plant some ivy up it: it grows rapidly, provides nesting sites for birds (and I've found toads in it) but is also host to vast numbers of insects and spiders .... a good thing in itself but these also provide food for birds and mammals.
Go for it!

Originally Posted by collierd

Hello
I get a lot of birds in my back garden but it's not particularily well secluded.
I have a 10 metre long 2m high wall that I would like to run some trees/shrubs along such that they reach 2.5 to 3 metres in height.
I would like to hang a few extra bird feeders in this area.
Also, we have had nesting blackbirds last year and I would like to encourage them back.
Could anybody recommend any trees/shrubs or even hedges (although I don't want to run this all the way along) that would encourage more birds into my back garden
Damian.