New trees have been plated along the grass verges at the top end of Appleford Drive in Abingdon.  Each tree is tied and protected with a wire cage.

This planting was done by Oxfordshire County Council as part of a wider tree-planting programme, which aims to increase the number of trees to help both with climate change and make streets more pleasant.

The council’s Tree Policy aims to get ‘the right tree in the right place’. Grass verges have limited space, possible underground services, parked cars, pedestrian use, and there is a need to keep sightlines. Young trees can also suffer deliberate or accidental damage in their early years.

Some of the newly planted trees are labelled. One that is already familiar locally is sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), well known in Abingdon town centre for its autumn colour. Other labelled species include field maple (Acer campestre), plum-leaf hawthorn (Crataegus × persimilis ‘Splendens’), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), silver lime (Tilia tomentosa ‘Brabant’), and Italian alder (Alnus cordata).

Appleford Drive has some much larger trees which could have been there before the housing.

Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council has obtained 30 fruit trees for planting in Ladygrove Meadow (the meadow near the Ock Bridge on Drayton Road). The planting took place yesterday, with community volunteers helping to plant and secure the trees using hessian ties and wooden stakes.

The event was organised by Abingdon Carbon Cutters, with support from the council’s Outdoor Team and Councillor Tom Greenaway.

The newly planted trees include apple, pear, cherry, hazelnut, and plum. Previously, some fruit trees had been planted nearby in what seems to be unofficial planting.

In addition to the orchard, the Town Council’s Outdoor Team has planted a new hedge around a gas relay station next to the orchard.

A tree has been planted near the Ock Valley Walk, close to where a large chestnut tree was recently felled. I believe the new tree is a Liquid Amber.

The tree is dedicated to Peter Green who did as much as anybody to make the Ock Valley Walk what it is today. Four Liquid Amber trees were added as part of the Market Place refurbishment during Pete’s year as mayor. They were about the size of this tree and have grown into fine sturdy trees which have a brilliant and long-lasting autumn colour.

Michael says, ‘These willows outside Waitrose had branches overhanging the footpath but isn’t this taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut?’

Pollarding willows in the summer is not as common as in the winter when they are dormant.