Sometimes things conspire for the best… Wet land and water-loving trees. We had decided to plant 200 black poplars at the Trust’s field at Ballabeg. Why black poplars? Well, they are under threat. According to the The Forestry Commission, it is the most endangered timber tree in Britain. It has suffered from the lack of wetland areas, which have been progressively been drained over the last few hundred years. There may be fewer than 7,000 mature black poplars left in the UK.
The last planting of our 2014-2015 season saw us putting in 140 downy birches at the Woodland Trust’s field at Ballabeg. Recent rains meant soft ground, so Clive and Colin, having arrived early, had all 140 holes dug in about 20 minutes…