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.

 

Wednesday 28th January 2026 - Los Altos Park, Sandown GG #1065

 Terry's photos

Transferring compost into the wheelbarrows to take to the site

The newly planted and mulched hedgerow

Mark's photos

We returned to Los Altos Park in Sandown this week to continue with the tree planting project managed by Tony, the IWC Tree Officer.  Funding has been secured to increase the tree canopy within the Bay area, and there are several of these planting sessions both with GG and with the public. 

Today we concentrated on planting a hedgerow parallel with the railway track.  As can be seen from Terry’s photos, a double row of holes were dug and the turf retained.  A small amount of compost was put at the bottom of the holes along with some water retaining granules and a sprinkling of mycorrhizal fungi.  The whip was put into the hole at the required depth and the cut-out turf replaced upside down around the roots and then backfilled with soil.  At the end of the session chipped bark was put down as a mulch around the whips.  The whips were planted in groups of six of each species in a random pattern along the hedgerow.

The varieties of trees planted were oak, field maple, black elder, rose, wayfaring tree, blackthorn, hawthorn, willow, hazel, wych elm and guelder rose.

Thank you to Terry and Mark for the photos.