Sidmouth Arboretum AGM: Tuesday 15th January

Some interesting tree projects are emerging:
Futures Forum: The Sid Valley Ring > a new footpath around Sidmouth and its environs

These and others will be centre stage tomorrow night: 

Sidmouth Arboretum AGM 2019

TUESDAY 15 JANUARY 2019

5.30pm at Leigh Browne Room in UNITARIAN CHURCH opposite TESCO

All are welcome to Join us for drinks and nibbles.

The AGM offers an opportunity to review our work -

and share ideas for future events


TIPS FOR JANUARY/FEBRUARY

Keep planting more trees! At time of writing the weather is still and dry. Do water plants in, unless frost is forecast in which case cover the soil with old carpet or sacking. Stake well against the March winds, which will follow no doubt.

Among shrubs in flower are the earlier flowering evergreen Camellia sasanqua, a favourite mine the scented shrubby honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima - which grows into a large shrub but is easily cut back after flowering; an ornamental flowering cherry Prunus x subhirtella is a good choice for smaller winter garden; and take courage to do the winter pruning of apples and pears. By now I should know what to do, but always refer back to the books or online.

Cut back hedges so that new growth will come from sides and middle, not just the top.

MORE PLANTING



Apricot Goldcot Maiden



Peace Garden Midland Hawthorn

Members of Sidmouth Arboretum and the EDDC Parks Improvement Team planted two more trees this morning, an Apricot in Blackmore Gardens and a Midland Hawthorn in the Peace Garden of the Dissenter's Chapel.


TREE WEEK 20-25 MAY 2019

Following the success of TREE WEEK in 2018 we have set the dates for 2019 – in May. The format will be the same with walks, talks and visits throughout the week and the trees will have more leaf and blossom at this time of year.


BLACKMORE FRUIT TREES



Graham digging for victory.



The Woolbrook Pippin

Working with EDDC, Graham and Jon kicked off this year's planting schedule when they planted fruit trees in Blackmore Gardens today. Two local apple varieties, the Woolbrook Pippin and the Woolbrook Russet were planted against the wall by the health centre. The trees will be trained on the wall as they would have been in times gone by. The team also planted a Rowan and an Apricot will follow soon.


TREE LABELS






Giant redwood

As part of the Arboretum's remit to inform and engage the public, we are attaching labels to many publicly accessible trees in the valley. Each labels tells you the scientific and common name for the tree, but it also includes a QR code. A QR code is like a super barcode, it contains information about a link to the Arboretum website page for that particular tree. The code can be scanned with a smartphone app with data access and the link is made to the website with information about the particular tree and further links to wider information about the tree species from organisations such as the Woodland Trust, Forestry Commission and Royal Horticultural Society.

The first labels have been attached to trees in the Knowle. We will also be labelling trees in Blackmore Gardens, Sidholme and along the Arboretum's Tree Trails.


Maintaining the shrubbery by Waitrose



Graham and spindle berry



Martin with hand shears

Winter months allow for active maintenance of the woody plants we look after and for new planting.

The triangle of land across from Waitrose and the adjacent beech hedge with standards keeps us busy.


Ongoing

We are looking at how climate change will affect the trees that are being grown and the effects of Ash Dieback which are increasingly visible on young trees in the valley

We are working with the Town Council on the recent proposal to plant more fruit trees.

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