TREE PLANTING
WITH ALLIUM
GARDENERS
My biggest interest is to inspire, aid, and encourage the planting of more trees, especially semi-mature ones.
With so many years’ experience working on gardens and dealing with clients, one of my biggest hurdles is convincing people of the importance of not only planting trees but their benefits.
Trees not only enhance the landscape, but they also soften the hard elements, such as the buildings and roads, which surround us. Trees provide a beautiful and constantly changing display, with each season presenting its special range of blossoms, leaves, cones, autumn colours, interesting bark, evergreen, and deciduous branches, in all different shapes and sizes. With the correct advice, trees will work anywhere: from a tiny town garden to a country estate.
Trees purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and help to combat climate change–in fact, one tree can produce enough oxygen for 4 people. Crucially, they also lower the air temperature in different ways, and a tree canopy acts like a parasol, blocking up to 90% of the sun’s radiation and cooling the ground beneath us.
They also use a process called evapotranspiration to block radiation from the sun before it hits the ground.
Trees help to improve soils and prevent flooding and erosion.
And something I have always really loved, they encourage wildlife into your garden, which is priceless, creating habitats for all kinds, including squirrels, bats, bees, owls, and woodpeckers, to name just a few, and many types of birds will take refuge and nest.
Trees are also extremely good for your health and well-being: science has proven that just looking at them can make us feel calmer, happier, and more creative.
My personal argument is: ‘If you want an investment, invest in a tree.’ For me, there are not many things in life that can give you as much pleasure and joy as a tree.
One classic scenario, when looking at some gardens, is that the client has spent most of the budget on the interior kitchen or bathroom, but when it came to the garden, it was a less-expensive fix. If only a young tree has been provided, it could take10 years or so for it to grow, by which time the client may have moved. But by purchasing a semi-mature tree, already 10-15 years old, although a more expensive outlay, you can really enjoy and appreciate it from day one and will add value to the house if the right tree has been chosen for the right location.
ALLIUM SPECIALIST
Bob has been a practicing arborist for over thirty years and gained his National Diploma in Arboriculture at Merrist Wood College in Surrey. He has also achieved an RHS Level 2 in Horticulture from Writtle College, Essex as well as attending many short courses, including Visual Tree Assessment, tree surveying and tree pathogen identification workshops.
Bob’s a “hands on” arborist and has worked alongside trees throughout his career. He has extensive tree climbing and tree surgery experience which has proven invaluable when considering the condition, safety and management of trees in any setting.
Bob can assess your trees for environmental and health issues such as protected species status, plus any risks they may pose, and work out a protection and conservation plan of action. Once he has established the needs and circumstances of the tree/trees he can compile a full report.
