Caring for the Environment
Choice of Plants
Native species.
Plants native to the UK provide the best haven for wildlife, examples include:
Bluebell, wild daffodil, ivy, heather, common honeysuckle, dogwoods, blackthorn, hawthorn, holly, hazel, elder, field maple, rowan, whitebeam, wild cherry, birch, oak and beech. There is also an array of wildflowers that, although may not be suitable for every location, provide a wildflower meadow look that requires very little maintenance.
Other none native species that encourage wildlife into the garden are buddleia (butterfly bush), Sedum spectabile (butterfly stonecrop) and asters.
Drought tolerant species.
It may also be useful to consider drought tolerant species, or if planting a tree, thinking about the climate more long term. Bleeding Canker, a disease possibly now more wide spread due to climate change, has been affecting horse chestnuts in the area. Birch and beech are known to suffer in drought conditions with their shallow root systems, oak on the other hand are known to deal better with water shortages.