National Tree Week is the UK's largest annual tree celebration, marking the start of the winter tree planting season (November to March each year). The Tree Council, one of the UK’s leading charities for trees, first established National Tree Week in March 1975 in response to the national replanting required after the outbreak of Dutch Elm disease.

Why plant trees?

Combat climate change – By absorbing CO₂from the atmosphere, trees help to combat climate change.
Prevent flooding – Trees protect soil from erosion, reduce surface run-off and slow large floods.
Support agriculture – Trees improve soil condition and prevent top soil erosion as well as creating shade and shelter for livestock.
Create woodfuel – The carbon emitted in burning wood is balanced out by what is taken in by the growing tree.
Improve health and wellbeing – Woods and trees reduce air pollution and keep cities cool. They are also the perfect places for exercise.
Encourage wildlife – Trees and deadwood are important ecosystems. The connect woods and enable wildlife to travel.
Build resilience – A good mix of native trees increases landscape resilience against pests and diseases and promotes biodiversity.

At Hardy’s we have recently been planting new trees to provide more protection on our sales area from the late afternoon sun.

These add to existing trees already growing across the nursery, such as the Malus sylvestris (crab apple) trees. The Crab Apple trees produce small round fruit in autumn providing food for birds, particularly redwings, fieldfares, robins, starlings, greenfinches and thrushes. Malus syslvestris are thought to be home to as many as 90 insect species with their blossom attracting bees in spring. We have positioned them on the nursery to provide the added benefit of shade for our perennials that prefer growing in dappled shade.

We also have Betula utilis var. jacquemontii on the nursery, known for their striking white bark, and delicate ovate leaves turning butter yellow in autumn. Small birds, such as long-tailed tits, siskin, greenfinches and redpolls, are attracted by the abundant seeds and insects that it hosts.

For more information about National Tree Week, please visit the Tree Council website www.treecouncil.org.uk/Take-Part/National-Tree-Week