REC(22)06.02
Melton Parish Council Tree Warden Report
In December we planted 3 whitebeam at an informal winter solstice event along with a few neighbours, family & MPC representatives. At the same site, a couple of weeks before I planted 6 hazel in a circle – as the hazel from Coppice Close has been used to such good effect, it seems important to be looking at planting up new sites for hazel to flourish.
Next weekend – we will be planting trees at Beresford Ave – again, with some supportive neighbour presence – plans mostly as presented previously to MPC, but at neighbour’s request, we’re also looking at planting an L shaped line of native oak – between 8 – 12, close and parallel to the Bredfield Rd boundary hedge, and then along the edge of the footpath of Beresford Ave. We’re hoping to fill in extensive gaps in the hedge (revealing wooden fencing) – but awaiting feedback/buy-in from the neighbours whose fence is revealed. I’m also intending to plant hazel out from the broadening of semi-wilded cherry hedging along what used to be a bridleway/path.
I’ve been in useful consultation with Neil Lister from the AONB regarding the shading required at the pond. As a result, I think we can put the birch ‘on hold’ for a while to see how – as a first step – a combination of willow and dogwood shape up? The willow we can take as cuttings from the ‘saltmarsh’ land – and we can plant a variety of sizes – for this, we’ll need to wait until the edge of spring to give it a best chance to flourish.
We may have sufficient hedging stock now, to ‘hedge’ our bets with Carole and David’s work on the playing field hedge-patching. And where the wooden beam has been replaced to discourage the shortcut footpath by the chestnut tree in Leeks Hill woods, we hope to plant a substantial double hedge to really make the point to those who will, inevitably, hop over the beam for now.
Happy New Year to all
Martin Wilks
January 2022
