Got it down to a pine art

Today, myself and a few of the other GoodGym Ealing crew signed up to help Trees for Cities as part of their planting sessions in Elthorne Park.

"Trees for Cities has been working in partnership with Ealing council for several years and is delighted to be planting 43 new trees in Elthorne Park this September. The trees will be nut trees to compliment the wonderful planting the Hanwell and Norwood Green Orchard Trail has done in the park so far."

Previous tree planting we'd done in the area conjured up images of planting tiny whips into small holes and I don't think any of us quite realised the enormity of the task at hand and just how difficult digging a big hole on a brownfields site heavily laden with rubble and rocks could be!

It took over an hour, five shovels, lots of scooping, many BIG rocks and one large pokey stick to get the hole just right for our Scots Pine but if something is worth doing, it's worth doing well!

The best bit is most of us are in the park on a weekly basis and we'll be able to watch it grow and have even committed to watering it between us over the hotter months of the year.