Starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 10, over 50 trees will be planted along Bearcat Loop Parkway by the City of Hendersonville for a project coordinated by Hendersonville Tree Board.
From U.S. 64 W. the trees will enhance the entryway to Hendersonville Elementary School and Hendersonville Middle School along the east side and the lower northwest side. Volunteers are invited to assist with planting the trees in pre-dug holes. Phone Tree Board Chair Mac Brackett at 692-3026 to sign up.
Preparations for the day of planting will include pre-digging the planting holes and soil enrichment. The planting will take place on Friday, October 10, beginning at 10 a.m. and lasting until about 3 p.m. A rain date of October 24 is set.
Nurseryman Wes Burlingame, a member of the Tree Board, and Landscape Architect Bruce Lowe have selected a variety of hardwoods, fruit trees, and ornamentals in the first of two plantings planned for the entryway. A second planting is scheduled for Fall 2015.
Volunteers, students, teachers, and principals are invited to help out during the school day. Some tools will be available, but volunteers are asked to bring a shovel and work gloves.
“We have chosen a variety of native trees to enhance the school entryway,” Burlingame said. “The Tree Board is pleased to include native fruit trees such as American Paw Paw and American Plum along with others such as American Beech, American Chestnut, Bald Cypress, and several types of magnolia. I hope the students will learn more about trees and their value as part of this planting and landscaping process.”
Callaway Crabapple, Redbud, Scarlet Oak, Serviceberry, Sourwood, Striped Maple, Virginia Fringetree, Persimmon, Carolina Silverbell, and White Oak are also on the list to be planted.
The project is funded by request through the Tree Board’s annual budget, which is supported by the Hendersonville City Council, according to Mac Brackett, Chair of the Tree Board. The objective is to provide low-maintenance landscaping that emphasizes multi-seasonal appeal and edible fruits and nuts.
“We are very excited about this,” said Hendersonville Middle School Principal Luke Manuel. “We are letting the students and their parents know about the opportunity to help.”
Hendersonville Tree Board is commissioned to study, investigate, counsel, develop and/or update and administer a written plan for the care, preservation, pruning, planting, replanting, removal, or disposition of trees and shrubs in parks, along streets and in other public areas. The Tree Board educates the public as to the economic and aesthetic benefits of trees and shrubs to Hendersonville and its citizens. The board is composed of residents and landowners in the City of Hendersonville. Members are appointed by Hendersonville City Council. To learn more about Hendersonville Tree Board and its projects visit the webpage at http://cityofhendersonville.org/
(Image: “Buk1” by Łukasz Smolarczyk – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.)
