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So, before you embark on this remarkable discovery of plants and the creation of your own MicroWoodland, I have some final thoughts for you. I want you to consider the fear that comes with trees for just a second. We worry that trees will undermine our foundations, grow too big, or affect our light levels. So here are a few ways to reduce the impact.
- Plant three metres away from your property.
- Plant on the west side so that the sun enters your garden.
- Choose multi-stem varieties to reduce the full height potential of the tree you are choosing.
- Follow our upcoming pruning guide. Trees will improve everybody’s localised environment, they don’t need to be a problem.
- If you have trees in your garden, bringing in more trees will improve everybody’s localised environment.
- If you can bring the trees into the centre of the space, then you’re not causing any trouble at all to neighbours.
People worry about trees, and if your neighbour raises any concerns, why not point them towards this free course and suggest they listen and think about how they might bring trees into their localised environment too?
Garden plants do not need regular watering. What you should be looking to do is just establish your plants, and then they should take hold and do what they need to do. I would let weeds come into the area. Even with the children in the garden, nettles are in, and we have caterpillars and butterflies, which are beautiful. So don’t be too precious about the space.
You can always have pristine borders on the other side of the garden, but allow this bit to be a little bit wilder and natural, and it will reward you tenfold. Enjoy the artistic collaboration with nature. It is a joy when you’ve given the gift of life to your garden space, and then you see the return of all that creativity it brings. The rustling of the leaves, the chirping of the birds, the butterflies and the bees and all the rest that nature provides us that we are part of.
The great thing is the environmental benefit, as trees sequester carbon in their growing process. The longer they live, the more carbon they store. So, if you are thinking about moving on share this design with the new incumbents of your property so that they can appreciate what you’ve created, and hopefully, it can stay there for the long term.
If there’s a particularly hot spot in the garden, it’s worth considering bringing trees in because they will improve the moisture within the ground and the localised plant performance with that little bit of shade cast will reduce the exposure to the site. Don’t worry if you’ve planted things too close together; just put stuff in the ground. It means that you’re making progress, and things can be changed.
So, we’ve got loads more to share with you. We offer a design and one-to-one service, but in this virtual space, I’m also looking to build more courses that will help you create more borders, beds, and garden spaces within your outdoor haven.
So, follow us and share as much as possible to benefit from this living community—all the best, and thanks for listening.