GROW YOUR OWN
NATIONAL TREE WEEK 2009
(25th November - 6th December)
It's the 35th National Tree Week - time to get out the tree planting boots, wield a spade and Grow Your Own; trees for food crops, trees for fuel sources, trees for wildlife, trees for biodiversity and, not least, trees for future generations. The Tree Council is encouraging everyone to think about sustainability and remember, particularly, that as well as planting to harvest fruit such as apples, plums and pears, there are many trees that have edible seeds - sweet chestnuts, hazel, walnut and many others that we may not care for, but that help feed birds through the winter.
Traditional British orchards have become a nationally scarce resource over the last 50 years and Britain now imports nearly twice as many apples from abroad as are grown here. By planting a traditional apple or pear variety, in particular, you can benefit from free food for years to come and help preserve some of the wonderful native varieties that are peculiar to different parts of the UK.
"It is a tragedy that we import hundreds of thousands of tonnes of apples from abroad when we can grow better varieties, throughout Britain, even in small back gardens." commented Pauline Buchanan-Black, Director-General of the Tree Council.
"Planting an apple tree in your own garden can provide fantastic free food for you and your family for decades ahead. With literally thousands of apple varieties to choose from, and special root-stocks to ensure they don't outgrow the space in your garden, they are the perfect tree to plant this National Tree Week."
There will be thousands of organised events throughout Britain this autumn to celebrate National Tree Week. They are planned by The Tree Council's Tree Wardens, member organisations and supporters though anyone who wants to take part can also think about doing something positive by planting a tree in their own garden.
Go on - Grow Your Own!