Grounds maintenance company, Quadron Services was delighted to work in partnership with Charnwood Borough Council, Loughborough in Bloom, Transition Loughborough, local residents and volunteers to plant eight new apple trees for the Community Orchard at Gorse Covert Hill, Loughborough.
Quadron’s Horticultural Development Manager, Nicola Clarke, was pleased to be able to donate the maiden apple trees on behalf of Bernard Sheridan, Quadron’s new Contract Manager for Charnwood Borough Council’s recently outsourced Open Spaces Contract. The apple trees, which included popular varieties such as Cox’s Orange Pippin, James Grieve and Egremont Russet, were to replace young trees that had been vandalised and damaged over the winter.
Despite the very blustery showers, the volunteers, along with Mike Jones, Chair of Loughborough in Bloom’s community participation groups, and Steve King from Loughborough Transition, dug holes and planted the trees with great enthusiasm. Local resident and Loughborough in Bloom supporter Harry Cook’s extensive horticultural experience was also put to good use and he did a fine job driving in supporting stakes and ensuring the trees were securely tied to the posts once they had all been planted.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the tree planting event and is now looking forward to being able to harvest the apples in the autumn as a reward for their labours!
