Top Of The Trees

If you want to attract wildlife and cross-pollinate the apple trees in your garden, plant a crab apple, says Val

- Val Bourne

FOR those who want an eco-friendly garden, it’s very important to choose plants that attract insect life. When I moved to Spring Cottage some 12 years ago, the only tree I inherited was a whitebeam (Sorbus aria). It was close to the spring and, because we are in an area littered with Roman archaeological sites, I imagined this might be an ancient tree. Apparently, it was a Roman tradition to plant a whitebeam close to springs.