Returned to Silver Birch after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Silver Birch failed — honey fungus affecting roots especially on stressed trees got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again.

The second attempt, with proper attention to watering deeply and regularly in the first two growing seasons, has been completely different. It's now thriving in a wildlife garden with native species and multi-decade investment that improves year on year is on full display. autumn colour and fruit or berry display this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.