council tree planting

Joly_Roger

Since we moved home 2 years ago, my daughter said she didn't like the view out of her bedroom window as all she could see out the front were parked cars.

She had a point! There's a grassy roundabout, but at least 2 cars for every house, one of our neighbours has 4 vehicles. Outside it looks more like a used car yard than a peacful cul-de-sac, as it should do.

These days many streets have lost most of their greenery. People taking up their lawns and plants so they can pave over their gardens, ripping up plants and tress for extensions, replacing hedges with dropped kerbs or low maintenance fencing etc.. I bet if you were to look out of your front window you would see more cars than trees in front gardens.

So I decided to do something about it and wrote into my local council suggesting they plant a tree in the centre of the grassy roundabout so that everyone living here can see greenery out of their front windows rather than seeing just cars and the children would get some shade in the summer whilst we would all get cleaner air.

6 months after my request, the council planted the tree today, it's about 2m tall and well staked. I'm so pleased that I've contributed to helping the local environment:)


Incidentally, our front garden was also concreted over (by previous occupants), so I hired a pneumatic drill and took up enough concrete / dug in enough compost & well rotted manure to plant a tree. I also laid a small lawn where there was gravel and built a pergola on top of the remaining concrete so that plants may grow over our parked car. Afterwards I had so much concrete to get rid of! Was really hard work but worth it to have an oasis of greenery outside our house.

wornoutmumoftwo

Everyone down my street is getting their trees chopped down. The tree in the front garden isn't mine - belongs to flat downstairs but I sent the man who knocked on my door wanting to take it away packing - the blue tits use it in the spring:rolleyes:

neilsp_2

it was national tree week from 25th Nov to 6th Dec so you helped add to the 1000's of trees planted across the nation.. :T

Joly_Roger

Hi Neil,
funnily enough I did actually collect a tree for planting for National Tree Week, a Silver Birch, currently in a pot. I also emailed thousands of people via my local Freecycle to tell them that they could get free tree saplings from Homebase. I know at least 1 person collected and planted a tree as a result of the email I sent.

Just had a proper look at the tree the council planted out the front and it's at least 3metres tall, I'm really looking forward to seeing it in leaf next Spring.


So maybe if any other people here would appreciate a bit more greenery in their street, perhaps all they have to do is pester their local council!

Mankysteve

Got to the nearest garden centre and plant a load of bulbs/Wild flower emugst the grass seeds and next year you have a nice carpet of plants next summer

glasgowdan

Good on you, we need to steer away from the concrete jungles that are taking over our suburban areas. I moved into my house not too long ago and am already planning ripping out half of the huge driveway in order to double the size of the front garden. It will be a lot of hardcore and bricks to get rid of right enough, but I may well use them in a myriad of raised beds as drainage.

I also just planted two fruit trees (family apple and a viccy plum) and a load of fruit shrubs in the front, where I'll also be planting potatoes, salads, herbs, heathers, lavender and many other varied plants. I can't wait!

Farway

I am in a minority here then, I have just contacted my local council to chop back the trees on the verge outside my house [not majestic oaks BTW, just willow saplings]

When in leaf they make my house dark and the branches are tangled up in the phone wires

There will be plenty left once trimmed back, and I am sort of semi rural so no lack of trees round here

Hadrian

People who 'fell' trees on Council Land ought to be very very careful. ALL trees on council land are Protected Trees and councils have the duty to prosecute anyone injuring or otherwise damaging them. The fines are up to £1000 and as an arboricultural officer in a large city council I had no hesitation whatsoever in instituting proceedings against anyone so interfering even, with a council owned tree, you have been warned.

Rolandtheroadie

Hadrian wrote: »

People who 'fell' trees on Council Land ought to be very very careful. ALL trees on council land are Protected Trees and councils have the duty to prosecute anyone injuring or otherwise damaging them. The fines are up to £1000 and as an arboricultural officer in a large city council I had no hesitation whatsoever in instituting proceedings against anyone so interfering even, with a council owned tree, you have been warned.

LMAO. Consider me warned.

Mithos

Joly_Roger wrote: »

Since we moved home 2 years ago, my daughter said she didn't like the view out of her bedroom window as all she could see out the front were parked cars.

She had a point! There's a grassy roundabout, but at least 2 cars for every house, one of our neighbours has 4 vehicles. Outside it looks more like a used car yard than a peacful cul-de-sac, as it should do.

These days many streets have lost most of their greenery. People taking up their lawns and plants so they can pave over their gardens, ripping up plants and tress for extensions, replacing hedges with dropped kerbs or low maintenance fencing etc.. I bet if you were to look out of your front window you would see more cars than trees in front gardens.

So I decided to do something about it and wrote into my local council suggesting they plant a tree in the centre of the grassy roundabout so that everyone living here can see greenery out of their front windows rather than seeing just cars and the children would get some shade in the summer whilst we would all get cleaner air.

6 months after my request, the council planted the tree today, it's about 2m tall and well staked. I'm so pleased that I've contributed to helping the local environment:)


Incidentally, our front garden was also concreted over (by previous occupants), so I hired a pneumatic drill and took up enough concrete / dug in enough compost & well rotted manure to plant a tree. I also laid a small lawn where there was gravel and built a pergola on top of the remaining concrete so that plants may grow over our parked car. Afterwards I had so much concrete to get rid of! Was really hard work but worth it to have an oasis of greenery outside our house.

Ooh this is wonderful well done you! We are very lucky to live in a semi urban area (Lots of grassy vergers with trees growing in them, plus a large green belted park) many neighbours dig up the ground around the tree's and put bedding plants in them during the Summer. Looks great.

This year I took the plunge and "hid" a load of daffodils around by the tree (wasn't confident enough to go the whole way like my neighbors!), I don't know if its illegal, but should make things look prettier in the Spring.

Maybe you'd consider doing something like that on the roundabout? But obviously there is the cost of the bulbs! . I'm going to book mark this thread and post some pictures next year.

DKLS

Hadrian wrote: »

People who 'fell' trees on Council Land ought to be very very careful. ALL trees on council land are Protected Trees and councils have the duty to prosecute anyone injuring or otherwise damaging them. The fines are up to £1000 and as an arboricultural officer in a large city council I had no hesitation whatsoever in instituting proceedings against anyone so interfering even, with a council owned tree, you have been warned.

Could you have a word with our local council please, I live near a lovely treelined avenue, the council workmen came to "raise the canopies" of a few trees.
Sadly they gave complete brain dead numpties chainsaws and they butchered the lot :mad: I wish I could fine them 1K a tree!