Transform your small garden with native trees: A guide to planning and planting
Creating a vibrant and eco-friendly oasis in a small garden is easier than you might think. One of the most impactful ways to achieve this is by incorporating native trees that not only provide shade and beauty but also attract wildlife.
In this guide, we will show you how to plan your small garden, choose the right native trees, and create a welcoming haven for both you and local wildlife.
Step 1: Assess Your Space
Before you start planting, take some time to evaluate your garden’s layout. Here are a few key considerations:
Measure Your Garden: Begin by measuring the available space. Sketch a basic diagram of your garden to visualise how the trees will fit. Consider both the width and length, and note any irregularities in shape. Most of our trees should be planted a minimum of 4m from buildings and at least 40-50cm from any fences.
Sunlight and Shade: Observe how sunlight moves across your garden throughout the day. Understanding the patterns of light and shade will help you determine where to plant your trees if you want to introduce shade to your space.
Identify Obstacles: Take note of any obstacles in your garden that could affect tree placement. This includes buildings, fences, utility lines, or existing structures. These elements can impact the choice of trees and their proximity to obstacles.
Step 2: Choose Native Trees
Selecting native trees is essential for creating a sustainable and wildlife-friendly garden.
Native trees are adapted to the local climate, making them easier to maintain. Here are some native UK trees that are perfect for small gardens:
Silver Birch (Betula pendula): These slender trees with their distinctive white bark are great for smaller spaces. They attract birds, bees, and butterflies and provide dappled shade.
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia): Also known as mountain ash, rowan trees have clusters of red berries that attract birds. They thrive in small gardens and offer vibrant autumn foliage.
Wild Cherry (Prunus avium): Wild cherry trees are known for their delicate white blossoms in spring and their fruit, which attracts birds. They are suitable for small gardens and provide shade in summer.
Field Maple (Acer campestre): Field maples are compact and provide lovely autumn colours. They are a great choice for small gardens and are often visited by insects.
Step 3: Encourage Wildlife
To make your small garden even more inviting for wildlife, consider adding bird feeders, a small pond, or a bug hotel. These features will attract various species and create a balanced ecosystem.
We can help with trees, compost and even spades to get you started on your tree planting journey. Start here to find the tree for you:
Specialists in native trees
We specialise in home delivery of native broadleaf trees including Silver Birch, Acer, Rowan, Oak, Hazel, Alder and Wild Cherry. Our smaller trees are available inclusive of FREE UK mainland courier delivery (Parcelforce or UPS) from our own online shop. You can also order trees from Cotswold Trees via eBay, Thompson & Morgan and Canopey.com. Our customers are often delighted to provide 5-star feedback 
on our products and service.
In the Cotswolds, you can find a selection of our trees stocked at Daylesford Organic near Kingham, Gloucestershire. Daylesford are open 7 days a week, allowing you to take your tree home immediately.
Instant impact trees to your door
The larger trees we supply range from 1.8 – 4m+ tall, in 10-35 litre+ pots. These can be ordered on our online shop, allowing you to choose the trees you need, including a small number of non-native ornamental trees. Also available are the accessories (stakes & ties, planting kits and spades) to ensure your new trees settle in well.
For large trees we offer a local tree delivery service across the Cotswolds and Midlands starting at £10. After we receive your order, we’ll make contract to confirm delivery date options and then deliver carefully by hand, bringing your new tree directly to your door or into your garden. No need to worry about cramming a large tree in your car, we can bring your trees to you.
British grown trees
Our woodland nursery in Oxfordshire is home to many of our ornamental trees for their first few years. We harvest seeds from our woodland to grow our most popular trees. We supply trees in pots for instant impact gardening, to allow you to plant all year round. Where we buy in stock, they are from British growers, to guarantee all our native trees are UK sourced and grown. All our trees are traceable using UK plant passports.
As a woodland nursery, unfortunately we don’t have the facility to welcome you onsite to pick your tree.