OOTS: More Trees? Yes Please!

Chippenham High Street is due to be transformed soon with the addition of 10 trees. If you peer closely you might just about be able to see what public planting we have at the moment on the centre right of the picture (click to enlarge if needed), so the addition of these trees to our streetscape is to be welcomed.

The Town Council has been working with the charity Trees for Cities on the project, who've also been advising on what might be suitable. We're getting Silver birch (Betula pendula) which will be planted in very large containers. There's too many services underground which might be damaged by the roots if they were planted directly in the ground. This will mean that the trees won't reach their maximum height and will require additional watering, though the council assures me it won't add too much to the amount they already do.

Silver birch is a native tree which is common locally. It also plays host to the second widest variety of invertebrates and other species (oak has the most), so will be good for the biodiversity of the town centre as well as helping to clean the air. Here's hoping the trees are a success and the council decides to buy the other 10 they were originally going to have (as reported in our local paper). I'm also hoping the planters they choose are stylish: the ones Arabella found in Paris recently would look rather good, but I suspect we'll have the usual black to go with the rest of the street furniture.

I'm hoping to show you our transformed High Street in the next edition of Out on the Streets. Don't forget, there's still time to tell us what's happening with the public planting in your neighbourhood for this edition of OOTS. Do write your post and add it into Mr Linky here.