Tree Planting Now For The Future

One of Hedgemead Park’s many attractions is its lush green canopy when the trees are in leaf. However, some of the trees are getting elderly and, sadly, we’ve recently lost three large trees to disease or natural causes. We need to think about succession so that future generations can enjoy the park as much as we do now.

For some time, the Friends have been in discussion with the Park’s Tree Team on the topic of planting, in particular the types of tree and possible locations in the park. Then in January we got the thumbs up to plant three trees, all the same species of Hawthorn called ‘Paul’s Scarlet’. This is an unusual variety of the UK’s native Hawthorn, which grows to 5-10m in height and produces a profusion of pretty, light-red flowers in Spring and orange-red berries in the Autumn.

So, we selected and purchased the trees in pots. Then last week, with the help of two members of the Park’s Grounds Team, we planted them at the agreed locations along the park’s boundary with The Paragon and London Street. Hopefully they will make quite an impression when in flower and brighten up park’s entrances at The Paragon and Margaret’s Hill. They’ll also be very popular with pollinating insects and birds!

A huge THANK YOU to all our members who, via their subscription fees and donations, have made this possible.