Taunton and South Somerset Living Apr - May 2024

TREES
please!
In this edition, our regular
contributer Matt Biggs tells us
how planting trees can make the
world of a difference...
There are many, many schemes to plant trees, in their hundreds
and thousands and in many different places here and around
the world. But just as a journey of a thousand miles starts with
a single step so it is with tree planting, if even a few of us plant
just one tree, that multiplication will make a big difference. I once
saw a series of cartoons about ants – one by one they looked at
the river they had to cross and one by one they realised that they
couldn’t make it – however when they all combined, they made a
raft and floated safely across – I love that image!
The choice of tree is very dependant on your space, your location
and what you want it to do for you – you might want a productive
tree so a fruit tree or even a walnut would be possible choices,
you might want to look out on it and enjoy it as it changes
through the year so Rowans, crab-apples or, of course, the
elegant silver birch will give you that or you might want that burst
of Spring blossom and think of one of the flowering cherries
– and then there is always my own personal favourite – the
handkerchief tree, that is a stunner!
The magnificent
H andkerchief Tree
Do your homework and seek advice from a local nursery or
garden centre to ensure your choice of tree is right for the space
– not only now but in 10 or 20 years’ time – and your tree will give
shelter to birds and insects, add to the local biodiversity and add
too the stock of trees that will make the future better for all of us,
and our children and grandchildren too.
42 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk