National Tree Week (Saturday 27 November – Sunday 5 December) is the UK’s largest annual tree celebration, marking the start of the winter tree planting season (November to March each year).
Talking of trees, progress is being made on Bridestowe’s community orchard. The plan is to plant fruit trees round the plot of land below the cemetery. Each tree will be in memory of a loved relative or friend. Fortunately two members of the parish council have expertise in this area and they will be supervising the sourcing and planting of the trees. The plan is not to plant before early spring.
Mrs Wendy Seedhouse who first offered to donate a tree in memory of her husband has opted for a crabapple because of its
valuable role in pollination. The flowers provide an important source of early pollen and nectar for insects, particularly bees, and this will assist with the pollination of the rest of the orchard. Also the crabapples are eaten by birds, including blackbirds, thrushes and crows and mammals, such as mice, voles, foxes and badgers will also tuck in.
Other pledges of fruit trees have been made so by next spring we could have half a dozen trees in place.
