Avenue of Lime Trees Planted in Dukes Meadows

Volunteers complete task despite rain, mud and Covid-19

Dukes Meadows Trust volunteers

Dukes Meadows Trust volunteers have worked in shifts in the rain to finish planting a new avenue of Lime trees (Tillia Cordata).

The avenue, adjacent to but set well back from Riverside Drive, consists of 30 trees, 15 planted last year and a further 15 this year.

Tillia was chosen as it is a native species, which was once dominant but now rare in woodlands. The trees are hermaphrodite and the flowers attract pollinators, such as bees. They support a wide range of insects and caterpillars that in turn provide food for birds, making it a great to tree to plant to enhance the park’s biodiversity.

Tillia has been a favourite choice for formal avenues but is less popular with car owners as aphids feeding on the leaves produce a sticky residue that drops down from the trees like sticky rain. The new Dukes Meadows avenue will not overhang any road or block light from buildings, so will be left to grow naturally without causing problems or needing maintenance.

Paul Davis, Chair of Dukes Meadows Trust said, “It was a magnificent effort by volunteers to finish the planting despite the weather and COVID. Planting out in a busy park, meant that we needed to use large specimen trees that would withstand the rough and tumble of a popular, intensively used park. The trees, stakes and mulch were very heavy, so we had them all delivered to site and then needed to get them planted without delay. It was wet, muddy work, but a great sense of satisfaction and achievement once we’d finished. The Trust is very grateful to The Tree Council, which funded this year’s planting with a £2,000 grant. Funds for last year’s trees were raised from through the Trust’s social enterprises; the Sunday Food Market and Artists’ Studios.”

The next big task will be watering the trees next year and the Trust is inviting people to volunteer to help with that. To become a member or volunteer with Dukes Meadows Trust email admin@dukesmeadowstrust.org

Dukes Meadows Trust

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February 12, 2021