Last year, while we were considering our plans for the current planting season, we were contacted by a resident of Cornel Close who asked if there was any possibility that we would be able to provide additional trees to enhance the environment of the Close. We visited the area, agreed that there was a need for planting and noted that there was also a lack of trees in the similar road, Bryony Close, on the other side of Honeysuckle Way.
As usual, when we investigated, we found that the layout of electricity, gas, water and sewage services limited the scope for planting. Nevertheless, there was still some suitable space and over two days, 5 and 12 January, we planted six field maples of two different varieties on two sites in Bryony Close and one field maple and two whitebeams on one site in Cornel Close. These are all trees suitable for residential areas. They do not grow too large and they provide interest throughout the spring, summer and autumn. We shall as usual be watering the trees for at least the first 2 years and carrying out any necessary maintenance to ensure that the trees continue to establish successfully and provide the planned benefits for local residents.
The funding for these trees was provided by Witham Town Council (WTC) as part of its policy of improving amenities for local residents, while also securing the health and environmental gains which trees provide. We are as ever delighted to assist WTC in meeting its aims.
At the end of the second day’s work we moved the short distance into the Bramble Road Park to replace two dead field maples near the playground closest to the road. This site has an interesting, and rather depressing, history. Originally Braintree District Council (BDC) planted liquidambars on the site, four of which failed to survive. BDC then funded us to replace these in the 2018/19 planting season. We planted field maples, as being a more robust species, reusing the existing large BDC cages. The following year, for reasons unknown, two of the cages were removed, allowing the BDC grounds staff to mow right up to the trunks of the two trees. While watering these trees for the second year in the summer of 2020, we noticed that bark had been removed at the base of both trunks, the result no doubt of over-zealous use of the strimmer. We mentioned the damage to BDC staff who happened to be on the site and pointed out that, if the bark were removed all the way round the trunk, the trees would die. Our intervention seemingly had no effect, because the following year the rings were completed and the trees died.
We have been waiting for the opportunity to restore this site to provide important shade and protection to users of the playground. BDC has not been able to offer any funding this year and we felt that the site deserved priority in the use of the WTC tree budget. We therefore replaced the dead trees with two new field maples and caged them firmly to keep the mowers at bay! However, we noted that the cages have now been removed from the two surviving trees from our 2018/19 planting and we must hope that history does not repeat itself.
Finally, on the same day, we replaced, as promised, the dead red maple in Forest Road near to Laburnum Way. This was the only victim of the last summer’s extreme drought. There was certainly no sign of drought when we planted the replacement. Indeed, the planting hole was completely waterlogged. This whole site is formed of heavy clay and we can only hope that next summer is less dry and that the tree survives like the other three on the site.
Richard Hawkes
January 2023
