Five hundred trees planted in city to bring back Birmingham’s blossom orchards

Planting for The National Trust’s Ring of Blossoms Project has been taking place in Birmingham during the second half of January.

This initiative sees the National Trust working with schools, residents, and community groups to create beauty and bring blossoms back to the city.

Birmingham was known as a town ringed with blossom, but since the 1900s it has lost around 157 hectares of its orchards.

The National Trust has revealed plans to bring back blossom trees by planting 500 trees across the city. The young trees will blossom this spring and should bear fruit in a couple of years.

More than 30 people came to plant pear and plum trees at Edgbaston Reservoir near the former Tower Ballroom site.

Trees are vital to lowering temperatures and will enhance the local nature reserve, says Edgbaston Reservoir Collaborative Scott Hewer, “For every generation to come together to plant a tree, it will give them a deeper connection to the Reservoir.

“It’s been lovely, exactly what we hoped. Everyone from different backgrounds are here, old and young. Hopefully in a few years time we will be sharing literally the fruits of our labour and it will all taste better,” Hewer added.

Volunteer Stassi Chilas, from the Port Loop development circled by the canal in B16 said, “it shows people care about their local area”.

Small Heath councillor Shabina Bano said local children “will see the whole process of the trees growing”.

“It’s a learning journey, it’s getting them involved in green spaces. The excitement is already there with the children, when it’s an apple tree, a pear tree.”

On a recent trip to a school, Cllr Bano said “it was so nice to hear young people are concerned about the environment”. If every child can be a little leader in their homes a shift towards greener lifestyles may come, Bono said.

Trees planted in and around our cities will enhance the natural beauty and also impact and contribute to healthier living that would make the urban environment more liveable.