Pelham Gardens

Trees &
Shrubs

A garden without a tree is missing one of its most valuable residents. Even a small space usually has room for one, on the right rootstock or as a large shrub, and the benefit starts long before it's fully grown.

Shelter

Windbreak from cold winds, dappled shade from hot midday sun, and dense cover for birds to nest away from predators.

Food, season to season

Blossom for early pollinators, fruit and berries through summer and autumn, and seed or nuts into winter, no other planting spans the calendar quite like a tree.

Habitat

Bark, canopy and root all host insect life that a border alone can't, the foundation the rest of a garden's ecosystem builds on.

Fruit Trees

ApplePome Fruit

1 / 9

Why it earns its place

Blossom feeds early pollinators, windfalls feed the birds

Ecosystem value

Spring blossom is one of the most important early nectar sources for bees and other pollinators. Left a little longer, windfalls feed blackbirds, thrushes and wasps well into autumn rather than going straight in the compost.

Growing notes

Choose a dwarfing rootstock (M9 or M26) for a small garden. Most varieties need a compatible pollination partner flowering at the same time, unless grafted as a self-fertile or family tree.

Good to know

Chives or garlic planted at the base help deter aphids on the new growth. Full grow guide already live: pelhamgardens.co.uk/grow-guide/apple.

Trees &Shrubs

ApplePome Fruit

November, in your inbox.

Trees &
Shrubs