Wednesday 25th February 2026 - Victoria Recreation Ground, Newport. GG #1069

 This last couple of months we have been busy helping the IW Council and specifically their Tree Officers with tree and hedge planting. All thanks to an IWC project funded by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) via The Tree Council's Trees Outside Woodland Fund.  Today was the last of these 6 weeks as the season changes and we enter spring. 

The sunny springlike warm weather certainly was welcomed both by us lot, we had a good turnout of volunteers, and also users of the 'Rec' who as they passed by made many positive comments. 

The trees were selected for flowering and fruiting varieties and included Hawthorn, Rowan, Crab Apple and Cockspur Hawthorn. They were planted in the ground using the same technique as previous weeks, see Los Altos and Foxes Park blog posts. The ground however was much easier digging here! We also uncovered several finds of what must have been a refuse dumping area, a midden, see the photos below.

 We all hope that these trees will be left unmolested to thrive and provide an avenue of blossom each spring. They are being protected and supported by stakes and cages.

Wednesday 18th February 2026 - Los Altos Park, Sandown GG #1068

 A reprieve from the heavy clay soils of last week as we returned this Wednesday to Los Altos to complete the native hedge planting we started a couple of weeks ago. 

The threat of a heavy storm kept us focused to get the task completed and we made it, all planted and mulched. We look forward to seeing the hedgerow in it's full glory in years to come. 

Here is a link to some history of the location!

Thanks to Dave for the photos

Wednesday 11th February 2026 - Brown's Golf Course, Sandown GG #1067

 Terry's photos

Another new venue – we are being spoiled!!  This week we continued with the tree planting project that Tony, the IWC Tree Officer, is overseeing, at Brown’s Golf Course in Sandown.  Some standard trees have already been planted in the south eastern corner of the site and we were to plant a hedgerow mix parallel to the existing hedge which runs along the north-west/south-east boundary.  As we have done in previous weeks, the holes were dug and compost, water retention granules and mycorrhizal funghi were added.  The whips were planted in groups of six (of any one species) in a random pattern with a rose planted at intervals. 

Thank you to Terry for the photos.

 

Wednesday 4th February 2026 - Foxes Park, Perowne Way, Sandown GG #1066

Mark's photo 

Alison's photos

Rootball sprinkled with mycorrhizal funghi

Checking the depth of the rootball

A lot of rubble was discovered

Scots pine

The communal washing puddle!

Beautiful alder catkins

Phil's photo

Team GG had reason to be grateful this morning – the sun was shining and the morning stayed dry!  After all the recent heavy rain, it was quite a relief.  We were working with Tony, the IWC Tree Officer and his colleague David, planting trees again.  However, today the venue was a new site for us.  Foxes Park is a couple of fields orientated northwest – southeast off Perowne Way in Sandown.  It has a path running through it and is very popular with dog walkers. 

In the first field (the northern) six holes had been pre-dug for us and six trees laid out with all their requirements.  The trees planted in this first field were silver birch, alder, hornbeam, ornamental pear, field maple and a disease resistant elm.  The method for planting was the same as at Los Altos Park on 14^th January.

In the second field four trees were planted.  They were hornbeam, liquidambar*, Scots pine and a wild service tree. 

Due to the recent heavy rains, the ground was saturated.  Quite a few of the holes had to be backfilled before the tree was planted and it was extremely hard work.  The soil was also full of house bricks and rubble.  The clay soil(!) was keen to stick to the shovels and reluctant to leave them and our boots.  At the end of the session, we took advantage of a handy puddle to clean both tools and ourselves.

* Comment was made about the liquidambar trees that we have been planting.  The RHS website states ‘A deciduous tree which grows to 20m tall, broadly conical in outline, with rather glossy, maple-like, 5 to 7-lobed leaves which turn to shades of orange, crimson and purple in autumn’. 

Thank you to Mark and Phil for the additional photos and to Tony for the biscuits.