Hazel & Buckthorn
We cleared the bramble scrub between the grey willows and the bottom of the garden so that we could plant a mixture of Buckthorn & hazel trees. These were provided to us under a scheme to compensate for the carbon footprint of Birmingham Airport.
We have also planted a hazel and buckthorn belt alongside the spinney.
Buckthorn is the food plant of the brimstone butterfly, which we see frequently in the garden. The hazel is planted with the intention of making the garden a better habitat for the common dormouse. We have no reason to believe that we have any at present but if you create the right habitat it is surprising what moves in. Quite apart from dormice, hazel is a good wildlife friendly tree.
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People's trust for endangered species - Dormice
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