TWO CHIMNEYS HEDGE
(See Project 8A on Projects Map)
Work on the Jubilee Hedge was suspended on Sat 11 January 2003 for two weeks and Trees for Thanet returned to Park Road. Two Chimneys Caravan Park had leased, from Quex Park, a 20 acre field between its site and Park Road and during the summer of 2002 raised a screening bund around it. Two Chimneys very kindly agreed to Trees for Thanet planting the verge by the bund in Park Road in order to complete hedging opposite The Millenium Hedge along its length; this would mean Park Road being hedged from Woodchurch Farm to the Junction with Shottendane Road. Two Chimneys also generously sponsored the cost of planting.
To match the Millenium Hedge, tubex shelters were used for a hedge for the last time by Trees for Thanet and a single row of 475 hawthorns was planted. In addition, 5 wild cherries were planted in the Millenium Hedge footpath gap and at the ends of the Two Chimneys Hedge. The picture above shows the view towards Shottendane Road. In the background can be seen the trees of Shottendane Copse (Project 2) and on the right of the lane can be seen 'The Millenium Hedge' (Project 3) after 5 summers of growth. (Two Chimneys planted the wide top of the bund in January 2007 with a triple row of trees and shrubs with spiral guards, canes and black mulch sheet; in a few years time it is hoped that the static caravans will be screened from view by a thick shelter belt!)
A wild cherry is safely planted and staked. (This tree , together with the hawthorns behind,was damaged in the summer of 2005 by children staying at Two Chimneys; it has since re-grown another stem below the snapped off original.). The Isle of Thanet gazette recorded the end of the project on Saturday 18th January with the Group's sponsors from Two Chimneys.
THE 'SAVILL' LIMES
On Saturday 22March 2003, the Group planted 5 'standard' size Limes as 'pole' trees behind the 'Millenium Hedge' and 'QEQM Hedge on behalf of Kath Savill of Birchington. Kath has been the longest and most generous of the many individual sponsors of Trees for Thanet and each time a child is born within the family, a contribution to Trees for Thanet is made to sponsor a tree. These 5 limes have not flourished as the Group would have wished , although they are 'hanging on in there' still! Perhaps late planting and dry summers put too much stress on the larger trees; it is hoped mulch sheeting will give them a better chance to survive.
RICHBOROUGH
In the week leading up to Saturday 12th April 2003, Trees for Thanet received a cry for help from Quex Park Estates to help them plant hedgerows at Kingsend Farm at Richborough. They had experienced problems planting earlier and were now outside the normal planting season in what was turning out to be a hot dry spring! The ground had been prepared and very small plants wrapped in black 'mesh' guards; 1,018 of them! The Group had observed the high casualty rate the previous summer of similar sized plants, notch planted on The Manston Road in Birchington and were not optomistic!
After a briefing about 'slot' or 'notch' planting the young people set to with a will and all 1,018 were in the ground by mid-day. The technique involves forcing the spade into the ground to create the 'slot' and the young plant in its mesh guard is inserted into the 'slot' with a sideways wiping action to avoid root damage. Feet are then used to close the slot; the mesh guard has sufficient rigidity to support the small plant.The problem in dry conditions is that the slot does not close well and an air pocket allows the roots to dry out and the plant dies. Quex Park was not able to water them in and the results were as expected; a high failure rate!
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