How to sort and prepare young trees

The weather has turned very cold and wintry again, giving me the opportunity to add a few more trees to my small wildlife hedge before spring sets in properly. So, this afternoon, I went across to the Forvie Tree Nursery to pick up some young hawthorns.

This is Bob the proprietor of the nursery who specialises in growing native shrubs and trees from locally sourced seed. Bob is a first rate natural historian and was once warden of the Sands of Forvie National Nature Reserve which lies across the river from my home; he knows more about trees than anyone else I know.