Making the most of your Bristol "Secret Garden" – Summer Tree Care Tips 🌿🦉

Have you watched the David Attenborough documentary Secret Garden yet?

It’s a fantastic watch, and it even showcases a garden right here in Bristol. It’s a brilliant reminder that while we’re heading outside to enjoy the sunshine, our own trees and hedges are already bustling "high-rise" homes for nesting birds, pollinators, and all sorts of beneficial insects.

Helping the wildlife in your own backyard

One of the most important things the Secret Garden documentary highlights is the role of the "hidden" wildlife in our gardens. When I’m out working, I’m usually expected to haul everything away, but if you’re looking to support your own local ecosystem, I’m more than happy to leave certain materials behind for you to use.

I recently put this into practice by donating materials to the Avon Valley Woodlands Nature Reserve. It was a pleasure to provide mulch to help improve their woodland paths, logs specifically for building bug hotels, and large tree stumps to be used as natural seating for youngsters enjoying nature. If you'd like to do something similar at home, we can help with:

• Log Piles: We can stack limbs in a shaded spot to create an ideal home for hedgehogs and solitary bees (like the Tawny Mining bee or the Red Mason bee). These bees are incredible pollinators and having them nearby will help your flowers thrive all summer long.

• Natural Mulch: Fresh wood chips from your own trees are perfect for keeping moisture in your soil. You can use these straight away around established trees or on garden paths, but if you're planning to use them on delicate flower beds, it’s best to let them sit for a few weeks first so they don't draw nutrients away from smaller plants.

• Habitat Stumps: If a tree does have to come down, we can often leave a taller "eco-stump" which becomes a magnet for woodpeckers and solitary bees.
  

  
  
  

  

  

Summer Check-List: Is Your Garden Ready?

Now that we’re spending more time outside, it’s the perfect time to look up and see how your trees are performing. Summer brings its own set of "aesthetic" and safety needs that are best handled while everything is in full leaf:

• The "Side-by-Side" Test: Take a look at your trees and compare them to others of the same species nearby. If yours looks "thin" or pale compared to its neighbour, it’s an early warning sign that something isn't right. It could be down to a fungal or bacterial infection, a lack of nutrients in the soil, or even soil compression. If a tree isn't looking its best, I can swing by and help identify exactly what’s going on.
  

• Letting the Light In: Now that the canopy is thick, you might find your patio or lawn is in permanent shadow. Crown thinning or lifting can let that dappled light through to your seating areas without losing your privacy.
  

• Spotting the "Hidden" Issues: With the leaves out, it’s much easier to identify branches that aren't performing well. If a branch has no leaves now, it’s a clear sign that it may need removing before the summer storms arrive.
  

• Hedge Definition: May and June are the perfect months for that first "formative" trim to keep your hedges crisp and prevent them from encroaching on your paths or driveway.
  

Booking ahead

I’m out and about across Bristol most days and can easily swing by to take a look at any trees you’re concerned about, go through the work you know needs doing or just to chat about how to keep your garden tip top!

If you’d like a professional eye or a no-obligation quote for some summer maintenance, just fill out the online form, email: info@arbutustreeservices.com or call me on 07538886491.

Enjoy the sunshine! Dan the Tree Surgeon P.s ... If you haven't seen it yet, here's the trailer for the BBC documentary - well worth a watch! (Oh and Happy 100th Birthday Sir David 🎉)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlQqwf8eo5E