Tree planting project will create havens for pandemic reflection

A NUMBER of trees will be planted in the city in memory those who lost their lives during the pandemic.

Nottingham will be one of the cities involved in the Blossom Again project to embed Covid-19 into the nation’s cultural memory.

The National Trust and Nottingham City Council are working in partnership with a view to planting trees at two different sites.

The plans for the project, which is expected to be delivered by December 2022, have been approved.

Lenton Recreation Ground and St Mary’s Rest Garden, St Ann’s, have been shortlisted out of a number of sites across the city.

The £45,000 project, funded by the National Trust, will see 28 ornamental mature cherry trees planted close to the Queen’s Medical Centre campus, which is part of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

At St Mary’s Rest, an avenue of 20 ornamental semi-mature cherry trees will be planted to create a peaceful sanctuary away from the city.

It is hoped that the project will also help the city achieve its 50,000 tree planting target and assisting in being carbon neutral by 2028.

Volunteers will be engaged for ongoing maintenance and care of the trees and a watering programme will be implemented for the trees for the first three years.

Councillor Rosemary Healy, Lead for Parks and the Public Realm, said: “It’s wonderful that we have been chosen as one of three ‘Blossom’ cities by the National Trust as part of their Blossom Together Project. St Mary’s Rest Garden in St Ann’s and Lenton Recreation Garden have been chosen for this project and we hope that new beautiful blossom spaces will give people areas for hope and reflection.”