A few months ago, I heard the strange tale of an oak tree in Ealing which marks the spot where an elephant is buried. I realised I had to find out more, so off to Ealing I went...
The Carlton Road Oak: Ealing’s Elephantine Tree
London’s Street Trees revised edition is officially launched
It’s been a busy few weeks in the tree publishing world. Hot on the heels of virtually launching the Great Trees of London map last week, last night was the official launch of the fully revised edition of London’s Street Trees.
London’s Street Trees gets an update!
I’m very pleased to announce that a new, expanded and fully revised edition of London's Street Trees has been published by Safe Haven!
Trekking through the urban forest
In August last year I walked through Epping Forest from Epping tube station to Chingford. It's an amazing walk with incredible beech pollards and prehistoric earthworks, musclebound hornbeams and rare wild crab apple trees to be seen along the way. It's just a section from one of the trails through London, from the greenbelt to... Continue Reading →
Five of the Best London Boroughs for Street Trees
From Hibiscus in Shoreditch, Golden Rain Trees in Osterley, and Bottlebrush trees in Pimlico, London has unexpected and fascinating street trees. Our urban forest, often under appreciated, is extremely varied and, what grows where differs around the city. So, which are the most interesting boroughs for a discerning London street tree admirer to visit, and... Continue Reading →
Engaging people with trees through technology
Trees and technology are not, on the face of it, natural bedfellows. But I believe new technology can provide the trigger for people, especially young people, to become interested in what is around them. So, I'm very pleased to be part of a 'Trees and Technology' seminar during London Tree Week where I am sure this will... Continue Reading →
London’s Street Trees on the Map (well, most of them)
Some months ago I heard rumours about a London Street Tree map being prepared by the GLA at City Hall. Excitingly, that map is now live and has been for a couple of months. For those who haven’t yet poured over the fascinating insights into what trees can be found on London’s streets would be... Continue Reading →
There’s Norway to Confuse a Maple
There are lots of maples, but the most commonly planted street trees are The Norwegian or Norway (Acer platanoides) and the Sycamore (acer pseudoplatanus), both are handsome species and at first glance difficult to tell apart. They have a lot in common, they are similar sizes and have similar native distribution. The differences are subtle,... Continue Reading →
Olive and Kicking
I wonder what they were thinking, planting Olive trees on the streets of de Beauvoir Town and Pentonville? I like to think it is a nod to the glory days of 1980s Islington when media types slurped their way through tankers of new world Chardonnay accompanied by mountains of juicy olives. Famed in tabloid imaginations... Continue Reading →
Tree Works or the Islington Pear Harvest
At this time of year I make frequent detours down St. John’s Villas, a residential turning off the Holloway Road, to see how the Pears are ripening. These rare street trees and their fruit are pretty special - possibly unique. If you would like to read more, here’s something I prepared earlier. This year, I’m... Continue Reading →
