Trees
Our ambition is to try and preserve those mature trees which enhance our communities, and to facilitate the planting of more indigenous trees for the benefit of all in Boston Spa and surrounding villages.
The preservation and planting of trees can be really helpful to reduce carbon gases into the atmosphere.
See the Woodland Trust's inspiring video on the benefit of tree planting in Cumbria.
The Woodland Trust's Emergency Tree Plan sets out how the UK can tackle its biodiversity crisis and the global climate crisis.
Leeds City Council's fantastic interactive map enables you to see where Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) exist. You can skim and zoom to your own street and see what is protected. It also tells you in an easily accessible way what you can do when you want to cut or prune a tree.
Richard Lapish (tree officer) has been really helpful and is supportive of the efforts of our sub-group.
Trees planted so far in the area
In addition to the list below, we've also planted thousands of hedging and trees in our local area including the riverside area in Boston Spa, Harewood, Tadcaster, Walton and Wetherby.
Church Fields in Boston Spa
As agreed with Boston Spa Parish Council, we planted about 7 Purging Buckthorn (to encourage Brimstone Butterflies) and an Oak in December 2020. However we'd actually received Alder Buckthorn instead of Purging Buckthorn that we had ordered. So we replaced the Alders with Purging Buckthorn in February 2022 and relocated the Alders to the riverside where we also planted a few Hazels to rewild a diverted footpath.
Oaks along the High Street in Boston Spa
Someone from Doncaster had three 4 year old oak saplings that he had grown from acorns and was looking for a home for them, so he donated them to a local resident. After receiving consent from the Parish Council, these were planted in February 2021 between Church Fields car park and Hampole Way.
Holgate Meadow in Boston Spa
Whilst discussing the above oaks with the Parish Council, it was suggested they may be planted at Holgate Meadow, but there was a worry the oaks would not do well here. So it was decided to plant trees here as suggested by the Parish Council’s tree report and we planted the following on in February 2021:- 2 x Prunus padus (Bird Cherries)
- 1 x Aces campestre (Field Maple)
- 2 x Hazels
Fruit Orchard at Deepdale in Boston Spa
It took us about a year of planning, presenting the idea, getting approval and getting a fruit orchard near the Skate Park and the avenue below checked for services and suitability for planting with Leeds City Council. Wetherby Lions, the Parish Council and Wetherby Town Council together put in the funding to make these possible. The wind and rain didn’t deter the hardy volunteers from digging through mud, rubble and roots, mixing in homemade compost with the soil and planting trees that will hopefully provide fruit through the summers to come for the local people. The following trees were planted in March 2021 and will fruit at different times through the year:
- Apple Arthur Turner
- Apple Bramley’s Seedling
- Apple Discovery
- Apple Kidd’s Orange Red
- Apple Newton Wonder
- Pear Beurre Hardy (Quince)
- Plum Victoria
- Mulberry (Black)
Following the success of these trees, 3 more orchards were planned for Deepdale. The proposal was put forward to Leeds City Council, Wetherby Town Council and the Parish Council including residents in the surrounding area to get local engagement. The Parish Council provided some funding for this, but the majority was donated by local residents who were asked to fund a tree in their name or as a sustainable Christmas gift to a family member or friend in their name. We had a great response for this and the trees were over-sponsored. The following trees were planted in December 2021:
Corner of West End and West Dale
- Apple Katy Bush
- Plum Victoria Bush
- Apple Epicure Bush
- Pear Beurre Hardy
- Apple Howgate Wonder
- Gage Oullin's Bush
- Plum Victoria Bush
Between West Lane and West Dale
- Plum Marjorie's Seedling
- Apple Charles Ross
- Plum Purple Pershore
- Apple Kidd's Orange Red
- Apple Crab malus sylvestris
- Apple Sunset
- Plum Edwards
- Pear Concorde
Between West Avenue and West Lane
- Pear Concorde (Pyrus)
- Damson Merryweather (Prunus)
- Apple Michaelmas Red (Malus)
- Apple Lord Lambourne
- Apple Fiesta Bush (Malus)
- Apple Egremont Russet (Malus)
- Quince Vranja Bush
- Fig Brown Turkey
For the first few years, local residents volunteered to help look after these orchards and the avenue below by watering them through the summer whilst they became established.
Leeds City Council agreed to change their grass cutting regime here and across Leeds to a rough cut to allow a greater array of wildlife than standard cutting. It's great to see over 20 frogs and many insects enjoying the long grass.
Avenue of Rowans at Deepdale in Boston Spa
- 4 x Sorbus Kirsten Pink 6/8 BR
- 4 x Sorbus Embly 6/8 BR
- 3 x Sorbus Sheerwater Seedling 8/10
- 3 x Sorbus Cardinal Royal 8/10
Wattle Syke
We spotted an area of land between the two roundabouts by the A1(M) motorway junction and the service road down to Bramham. After well over a year of negotiations and the help of Leeds City Council, we managed to complete the planting in January 2022. With over 40 volunteers including the Rotary Club, it was a great communal effort in planting a good diverse mix of mostly native species (list below) to enhance wildlife in the area and sequest a little carbon. It took a lot of organisation, but it was really exciting to see it all come together.
Keith Jackson, Ian Grainger & David Batty
- 100 Hawthorn
- 10 Scots Pine
- 13 Hazels
- 10 Wild Privet
- 8 Bird Cherry
- 8 Sorbus / Mountain Ash
- 8 Gorse
- 6 Oak
- 5 Walnut
- 5 Field Maple
- 4 Crab Apple
- 5 Dogwood
We keep monitoring the site and adding to it where and when needed.
River View in Boston Spa
The Parish Council had felled a few dead trees in the autumn of 2021 and asked if we would be interested in replanting the area, so we planted a Crab Apple and a Field Maple in February 2022.