Trees help Olympic Park’s green spaces to flourish

10 June 2009--Around 2,000 semi-mature British-grown trees have been hand-picked for the London 2012 Olympic Park in what is thought will be the largest one-off planting of its kind in the capital.

The trees will form the roots of the 100 hectare park that will provide a colourful setting and festival atmosphere for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and a green space for people and wildlife in legacy. The four to seven metre high trees have been grown by the selected supplier, Hilliers Nurseries in Hampshire, which has worked on projects including the 1951 Festival of Britain, the Manchester Commonwealth Games Stadium and the Millennium Dome.

The trees, which will be planted over the following three winters, have been carefully selected to ‘future proof’ against climate change and are predominantly native species such as ash, alder, willow, birch, hazel, cherry, poplar, London plane and lime. Trees will provide shelter from wind and sunshine across the park, willow and alder will be planted in river areas to withstand flooding and species vulnerable to climate change have been avoided.

Viewing first-hand the rows of Olympic Park trees in Hampshire, ODA Chairman John Armitt said: 'Seeing 2000 semi-mature trees lined up ready to start being planted in the Olympic Park gives you a real sense of the green setting being created for the Games themselves and the transformation of this part of London in legacy. We are cleaning up former industrial land to create the largest urban park in the UK for over a century as a cornerstone for the regeneration of the area.

Over the next three years suppliers will be sought for thousands of younger woodland trees, shrubs and other plants to create a diverse and rich parkland for the 21st century developing the tradition of centuries of British landscape and garden design.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will shortly appoint a contractor to supply over 500,000 wetland plants for the parklands, ready for planting to start next spring.

Source:
London 2012
http://www.london2012.com/index.php

LINK :
London 2012 Summer Olympic Games