Garden Guide With James Kilkelly

A gift for tree lovers ARE you a member of a community group, such as Tidy Towns, a residents' association, a local heritage group, a sports association, a school board or a youth group? If you are and you would like to improve your local area by planting trees, then I may have an early Christmas present for you. Earlier this month, the Tree Council of Ireland, in partnership with Balfour Beatty Ireland, launched the Community Tree Project Grants Scheme to support organisations that are attempting to 'green up' their local area. Their joint statement on the initiative stated: 'In these difficult times, the Tree Council and Balfour Beatty CLG recognise the challenge for groups and organisations who want to do something positive in their communities and the aim of this funding scheme is to assist local groups in the achievement of well-planned tree planting initiatives'. Supporters of the initiative Balfour Beatty Ireland works on civil engineering and general construction projects in Ireland. Some of their projects include the power supply upgrade for the existing DART system in Dublin and the upgrade of the principal runway at Dublin Airport. The Tree Council of Ireland needs little introduction, having encouraged tree and wood culture on this isle since 1985. It is basically an umbrella body for approximately 50 organisations involved in tree planting, management and conservation. The main role of the Tree Council is to promote the planting and enjoyment of trees and it does this through organising events, educational programmes, the publication of literature, the management of national tree records and through the provision of an information service to the public. The where and the how The areas covered by this new grant scheme include the planting of individual trees on streets and public green spaces, the establishment of small, native woodlands on publicly accessible land for amenity and biodiversity, commemorative tree planting initiatives, and even planting a collection of fruit trees as community orchards. This is welcome, as there are numerous unused or neglected sites throughout the country that with a bit of work can be transformed through tree planting. As well as the actual planting materials the funding can be used to facilitate training, to obtain professional advice or to gain external assistance with regards to good tree planting and tree maintenance. Successful applicants will receive up to 75% of their project costs, up to a maximum grant of €500 per project. There are some factors I believe will greatly influence whether you will be rubber-stamped for funding should you apply. I can see priority being given to the planting of native species appropriate to the locality and site conditions (wet soil, windswept sites etc). Consideration should also be given to how big trees will grow, whether they will affect neighbouring properties and whether their growth will affect utilities either under or over ground. If you can actively involve and engage children under the age of 16 years in the project, then that would also be a bonus. This could be in the form of a formal group, such as cubs, guides or youth clubs, or else a community team assembled especially for the purpose of the project. So, if you have an idea for a tree-planting project in your community or you know of a local group that could benefit from some funding for such a project, then I urge you to consider applying for the scheme. This truly is a gift for tree lovers but you must be quick, as applications should be submitted to arrive on or before the closing date of January 20 2013. The application form can be downloaded at www.treecouncil.ie or is also available in hard copy on request from the Tree Council of Ireland, Seismograph House, Rathfarnham Castle, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, or by phoning 01-4931313. You never know, you may be able to start the New Year with the hope of a fresh tree plantation, so good luck with it. Until next week, happy gardening and remember that a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.