National Tree Week, Christmas Trees, Bare-root Trees

National Tree Week

Christmas Trees

Bare Root Trees

What is the link between these? And why would it be of interest to you and to your garden? Sharpe the Border Collie is ready to tell you why it might be…

Alright, he can’t manage the computer keypad, so I’ll do it instead

National Tree Week

National Tree Week UK began in 1975 and is an annual celebration of our trees at the end of November / beginning December. It is timed for this point in the year as this coincides with the beginning of the bare root tree season. In 2016 National Tree Week UK runs from November 26th – December 4th.

Trees play a vital role in our lives. Deciduous trees in particular remind even the most dedicated urbanite of the changing seasons. The bright green of spring as new leaves burst in to growth. Frothy blossom on ornamental street trees and flowering trees with descriptive names such as the handkerchief tree add to the beauty of our daily lives.

sambucus nigra in flower,spring blossom, black elder tree

Leaf fall brings the opportunity to relive childhood, crunching through crackly red, gold and amber leaves. The bare branches of winter trees look ethereal in the misty glow of street lights on a winter’s morning. And of course, offer an opportunity for festive lights to be draped and twisted around their branches.

In your garden, trees may offer welcome shade on sunny days, worth the effort of gathering up leaves from the lawn. Those leaves can be turned into free compost to feed the self-same trees a year or two later.

If you have fruit trees, whether old and large or a single stemmed cordon, your garden has productive beauty. Blossom and fruit; food for pollinating insects and for humans.

The United Kingdom is still one of the least wooded countries in Europe. The Tree Council, the UK’s leading tree charity, does much to educate us as to the importance of trees. With climate change and poor air quality both headlining news items, it is even more essential to care for the trees we already have and to plant more. Our woodlands are at risk from housing developments and transport schemes as well as from diseases such as ash dieback. Trees improve our physical and mental health in many ways.

And as Professor Carl Sagan said:
“This oak tree and me, we’re made of the same stuff”

Christmas Trees

Sometimes, it feels like the Christmas tree is re-invented every year!

For example, this year I’ve spotted plenty of photos of DIY outdoor trees upcycled from wooden pallets. A neat idea I thought, although some look more finished and decorative than other examples.

The traditional Christmas tree as we now know it, along with the emphasis on family, came about during the reign of Queen Victoria. Her husband Prince Albert brought over many customs from his native Germany, including a decorated, cut conifer tree as a centrepiece for the festivities.

I’ve listed Christmas Tree blogs below. These range from pros and cons of the tree options available to how to care for your tree, and more besides.

You could turn almost any tree in your garden into a Christmas tree. Strands of lights twined around the branches can be powered by solar energy, batteries or mains (with the correct outdoor wiring). Shatterproof and waterproof decorations would complete the festive look.

Bare Root Trees

I have written about bare root fruit trees and bare root plants in previous blogs. (Click the links here or below to read them) Bare root trees, shrubs and hedges are a brilliant way to purchase these larger plants for your garden in a cost effective way. I regularly use them as part of a garden design, both for a whole new planting design or as a way of extending an existing border planting.

Bare root plants are bought and planted in your garden over the winter months as this is when deciduous trees and shrubs are dormant, ie not growing. We may carry this out as a stand-alone planting task. For example, where a new vegetable plot or fruit garden has been created. Or as a follow-up planting session where the main borders were planted during early autumn.

showing graft of rootstock and scion on newly planted bare root fruit tree

Sometimes the bare root trees go in first, with the rest of the planting to follow in the spring. This latter is appropriate where, for example, we are planting a whole new hedge which will be at the back of a new flower border. It’s a lot easier to plant the hedge and let it settle in before filling the border with herbaceous perennials which might otherwise be in the way!

National Tree Week Christmas Trees Bare Root Trees

So, the link between these is threefold: –

Firstly, it is the season – winter.
Secondly, it is the importance of trees in all their guises as part of our festivals and festivities. Think of Christmas, but also Japanese Cherry blossom festivals and Apple orchard days.
Thirdly, there is the essential nature of trees to remind us that, compared to most of these perennial plants we are short lived. For example, just considering a favourite Christmas tree variety, we discover the Norway Spruce has an average life span of 200 years.

And why would it be of interest to you and your garden? You’ve probably answered that question yourself if you’ve read this far. In which case you may like us to create a tree filled garden for you – if so, do get in touch for an Initial Design Visit

There are other tips and tricks, some of which can be found in other Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below, our monthly Tipsheet and regularly on Instagram and Facebook

Making your life easier and enabling you to enjoy your garden is part of what we discuss when we come to design your garden and give gardening lessons in your garden.

Bare Root Fruit Trees
Bare Root Plants
Winter Evergreens in your Garden and your Home