Wyevale Nurseries offers free expert advice on boosting biodiversity with hedging

Gardeners, landscapers, local authorities and landowners are being encouraged to boost biodiversity by planting bird‑friendly hedging – and Wyevale Nurseries is offering free expert guidance to help them get started.

With 96 years of horticultural expertise and more than 250 acres of UK‑grown transplant production, the Hereford-based commercial nursery is renowned for supplying high‑quality native hedging and trees nationwide.

John Lawrence, Amenity Sales Manager at Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford, says: “We’re driven by promoting biodiversity wherever we can and have produced a free-to-use, online guide that includes a focus on supporting bird populations through thoughtful hedge planting using native species that provide food, shelter and movement corridors.

“Hedges are crucial habitats for both resident and migratory bird species. They offer nesting sites, shelter from harsh weather and natural food sources such as berries and insects. Our free guide highlights how mixed native hedging provides the greatest benefit to birds, while enhancing biodiversity and creating micro‑wildlife corridors across rural and urban landscapes.”

Key plant species recommended by the Wyevale Nurseries team for attracting birds include:

• Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) – important berry‑producing plants relied upon by winter migrants such as redwing and fieldfare.
• Hazel (Corylus avellana) and Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), which offer strong structure for nesting and cover.
  Dog Rose (Rosa canina), Elder (Sambucus nigra) and Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) – valued for their fruit and high wildlife food value.

"These hedging choices help support a wide range of birds, from winter visitors such as fieldfares and bramblings to summer migrants including whitethroats, willow warblers and spotted flycatchers," explained John.

To encourage more wildlife‑friendly planting, Wyevale Nurseries is offering complimentary advice to gardeners, retailers wishing to pass on the knowledge to the general public, landowners, local authorities, landscapers and other companies in the amenity sector on:

• Choosing the right native species for site conditions
• Designing mixed hedging schemes that maximise wildlife value
• Planting techniques for bareroot hedging
• Long‑term management for bird‑friendly results.

John adds, "We also advise that landscapers and gardeners to leave berries on plants into late winter; to avoid over‑trimming and embrace a slightly ‘wild’ aesthetic to create even better habitats for birds."

Wyevale Nurseries champions sustainability in every part of its activity, from peat‑free growing systems to prioritising UK‑provenance and UK‑grown plants – ensuring resilience to UK climates and pests.

All broadleaf natives used for hedging are grown at its Herefordshire site, ensuring excellent transplant success rates nationally and reducing environmental impact through shorter supply chains.

"Just one metre of hedging can provide a meaningful habitat for birds. We’re encouraging everyone from gardeners with small gardens to groups with community spaces to plant a native hedge and participate in building wildlife corridors across the UK landscape. It’s the ideal time for bareroot hedge planting too.

"Our bareroot season runs until the end of April as, thanks to our cold stores, our plants remain fully dormant even when outside temperatures rise – helping maintain quality and extending the lifting season, and bareroot is the most cost‑effective way to plant a hedge.

"Plus, our consumer Wyevale Hedges website – www.wyevalehedges.co.uk – caters for individuals looking for hedging on a smaller, non‑wholesale scale and for those wishing to purchase quickly and easily online," John concluded.

Wyevale Nurseries has a product selection and a highly knowledgeable and experience team that’s admired across the industry.

Its main business is to supply landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters, landowners and garden centres with a comprehensive array of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants.

For free expert advice on planting biodiversity boosting, bird‑friendly hedging, please download the Wyevale Nurseries guide or to place an order, please call 01432 845 200 or visit www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk