Donation and Planting of an Oak Tree

Andover Trees recently received a wonderful donation of a young oak tree, from Hampshire residents Barbara and Ashley Bradley. It was planted in Harmony Woods by the team on 13th March as part of one of our weekly Monday Workdays - see photos below. Barbara sent in her story of how this came to be…

I am a retiree of Hampshire Constabulary, having served 21 years in uniform policing the streets in Basingstoke town and the 250 square miles surrounding it, being based at Tadley. In approximately the early part of 2014, I was on duty designated to policing an event that was due to take place on land surrounding Stratfield Saye House which is home to the Duke of Wellington. It was a glorious sunny and warm day. Anticipating a busy day ahead, I pulled into a lay-by on a country road to take an early lunch. I was standing in the sunshine appreciating the calm - potentially before the storm - of the work day ahead. The air was completely still, not a breath of wind, with only the gentle relaxing sound of birdsong to be heard. Enjoying my sandwich I was looking around taking in the beauty of it all, when I noticed a sprouting acorn. It was nestled in the built up, moist rich leaf-mouldy soil under the trees opposite - which were yet to come into full leaf. Taking my snack container I scooped it up and popped on the lid feeling like I had found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! It resulted in putting a huge smile on my face and instilled a calm mood for the rest of the day.

I duly planted the acorn in a small pot with it's original soil and similar added. I'd like to say my husband Ashley and I nurtured it into life, but it seemed to thrive without any attention from us, other than to pot it on occasionally and move it around the garden. The oak developed over the years and has moved house with us as recently as 2020, which is when it was last potted on into a 40 litre sized pot. The tree developed into a nicely balanced shape and had become 8 foot tall, although still quite thin in stem. Foxgloves were constantly self seeding in the soil around the tree, we have planted up the seedlings in the garden and anticipate a bee-fest when they are in full bloom this year!

Our garden is large enough to take an oak tree, however, I was discouraged, or rather encouraged not to plant it by Ashley. He is quite right that at some point in the future - though not under our watch - the tree could have been cut down - so, what to do? Many years ago we were in Andover town enjoying a farmers market, when I became interested in a stall which was promoting Harmony Woods. I took a leaflet and returning home I pinned it on my kitchen pin board where it had remained ever since - it too moved house with us. My intention was to explore the wood at some point.

One sleepless night I had a eureka moment - I would make contact with Harmony Woods people and donate the tree. Thanks to Sarah who responded to my email, her wonderful colleagues Jo and Abbey who attended my address to collect the tree, and the team who helped plant it soon afterwards, it now has a permanent home in the Diamond Wood, where it can be enjoyed by people and nature for years to come.

I'm unsure of the specimen of oak but assuming it is a common English Oak it could grow from anything up to 20 to 40 meters tall and it is believed that an oak can live for up to 900 to 1000 years. It is said that an oak takes 300 years to grow, 300 years to live, and 300 years to die. Long may it live!

Thank you Barbara! And thank you to our fabulous volunteers who dug a big hole and planted the tree. It was planted in the eastern end of the Diamond Wood among the hazel thickets. Once the tree is more mature and the hazel is coppiced it will create a ‘coppice with standards’ habitat, providing a range of important resources for flora, fauna, and fungi - hopefully increasing the biodiversity in that part of the wood.