nature – Growing Hollingdean

Tree Guardians next meet up is Sunday 6th October 2024, 10am at Lynchet Close shed – everyone welcome!

4th Oct 2024

Growing Hollingdean Walnut Tree 245 Horton Road-Tree Map September 2024

Tree Guardians last met at Horton Road in September 2024

On Sunday 1st September 2024, Growing Hollingdean Tree Guardian volunteers saved a young walnut tree number 245 from being overtaken by bind weed. It lives at the back of Horton Road flats where cardboard was laid round the base and mulch added on top, giving this tree a better chance and take advantage of moisture and nutrients.

Walnuts

Walnut trees can be pruned from mid June to late September, giving air and light to walnuts ripening between September and December. If you would like to see a full grown walnut tree check out the two large beauties near the shops on The Crestway, number 044 and 045. If you are lucky the local squirrel may have left some walnuts for you.

Growing Hollingdean Tree Map

See our tree map for your nearest fruit or nut tree click here. Join us for a walk round, all abilities welcome.

Tree Guardian Volunteers Wanted

Everyone welcome to join us for two hours of light shovelling, weeding, walking, pruning or just for a chat. Get out and feel good this Autumn in your local area, we are so lucky to have green spaces around us. See what Thrive say here…. “Spending time in nature can be good for our health and wellbeing. You don’t need a garden of your own to benefit. A simple planter or time in a park can still work wonders.”

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Tree Guardians out on Brentwood Road staking apple trees

12th Mar 2024

Tree Guardians out on Brentwood Road staking trees, Growing Hollingdean volunteers first Sunday in March 2024 — *Pruned and staked Apple Tree 078*

Growing Hollingdean volunteers the first Sunday, March 2024

Three apple trees received tree guardian love, care and attention on Sunday 3rd March 2024. We welcomed a few new volunteers this session and a total of nine people took part. We cleared the grass and weeds, staked, mulched and put new protective cages round the trees at the top of Brentwood Road. Pruning with our amazing ladder, which can be used on uneven group took place on the oldest of the three trees, trimming back some branches to give it room to breathe. This is best done as a group effort, so people can see the branches from all angles and identify which ones to remove.

Tree Guardians out on Brentwood Road stacking trees, Growing Hollingdean volunteers first Sunday in March 2024 — *Pruned and staked Apple Tree 078*

To find your nearest fruit or nut tree near you, see our Tree Guardian Volunteers page for the Hollingdean Tree Map. Look closely at the tree’s with leaf buds and blossom. How to identify spring blossom here.

Tree Guardian

If you would like to know more about our events or help out as a volunteer please email through our contact page here. We look forward to meeting you!

Brentwood Road Tree Guardians planted a Victoria Plum and an Apple tree

26th Feb 2024

Growing Hollingdean volunteers where on Brentwood Road Tree Guardians and planted a Victoria plum and a apple tree, February 2024 — *088 Apple Tree*

Growing Hollingdean volunteers in February 2024

Tree Guardians met twice this week to finish pruning, staking and fencing the apple trees on Brentwood Road. We are very lucky to have a good pruning ladder, saw and secateurs funded through Estate Development Budget (EDB) money. Before making a cut we talk through the options and decide on the best action. That way we all learn whilst we work.

We had a new volunteer on Friday who enjoyed post ramming. Some regular Tree Guardians came to support and help with their small children on what was a beautiful sunny day. A Victoria plum tree has been added to the soft fruit area near the entrance to Burstead Woods by Burstead Close – it will be exciting when we start to see the fruit! We also added a guard to an elder tree that has been damaged twice by contractor’s mowers, so hopefully this now has a chance to grow into a strong healthy tree that will provide pollen, nectar and fruit for the future.

The Woodland Trust says “Woods and trees can improve our health and wellbeing in many ways, including reducing stress, improving mood, and boosting the immune system.” We are so lucky to have this just a few streets away and for free. Also see “8 STEPS TO ACHIEVING LONG-TERM MINDFULNESS WITH WOODS AND TREES” here.

Come and join us for our next tree guardian volunteer session. Email us through our contact page here to let us know your coming.

For all the latest news on Growing Hollingdean free events and volunteering please sign up here or in the box below. Thank you to all the Growing Hollingdean volunteers who made this possible.

Tree Guardians on Davey Drive bank mulched four cherry plum trees

17th Feb 2024

Tree Guardians on Davey Drive bank mulching cherry plum trees, February 2024. A wonderful area for insect and manuals to hibernate and feed. — *011 & 012 Cherry Plum Tree mulched*

Growing Hollingdean volunteers spent a couple of hours clearing the ivy and weeds away from the base of four cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera) trees. Then they laid cardboard down and covered it in a thick wood chip mulch. This bank is very steep, the volunteers managed to fill a bag of thrown beer cans from amongst the vegetation.

This is a wonderful area for insect and manuals to hibernate and feed

The Davey Drive bank is a very good area for the slow worms, they bask in the sunshine to warm up on this south facing bank. Frogs have also been seen here and in the gardens above. Please take time to look next time your passing.

Weeds, wild flowers and blossom are important to our insects

This area may look messy to our eyes but there will be bee’s, bugs and butterflies hibernating in the undergrowth. Such as the common blue butterfly which overwinters in larval form. The caterpillars will emerge in spring, feeding from the wild flowers beds here. The humming bird hawk moths are also seen in the summer on Davey Drive’s wild flowers and weeds.

We are lucky to have such beautiful nature on our door steps.