About 5 years ago, our community veg growing project was launched when Islington Council gave away free wildflower seeds for tree pits (the base around trees). Since then, pimping our pavements has become a regular part of our horticultural activities, and an edged tree pit has become the holy grail of our street planting.
When the council included our community project as part of their entry into London and Britain in Bloom, they kindly helped us along with edging fifteen of our pits.
Just those few extra inches make all the difference,
allowing residents to plant perennials alongside wildflowers and other annuals.
Sadly, these resources are no longer available from the council, but we do have enough funding to have a go at DIY tree pit edging. And here’s Nikki, our first DIY tree pit candidate. The metal EverEdge edging comes in packs of five 1 metre lengths, that easily interlock to create a continuous border. We were slightly alarmed at how rigid it sseemed at first, but bending was more do-able than we at first thought, simply wrapping the metal around a piece of wood (instructions are enclosed!) and using a bit of elbow grease.
Since it was our first attempt, we did learn a few lessons along the way.
- Ask your neighbours to move their cars the day before, for easier access to the tree pit!
- Don’t permanently join your lengths of EverEdge together until you have created all the bends on all of the pieces
- You’ll need more soil to fill the tree pit (once it’s been created) than you think
- You’ll need a large mallet for hammering in the edging, plus some wood for shaping the corners and to use with the mallet (see pic below)
Once you’ve created your bends, and positioned your edging for the whole tree pit, you can then use the mallet to finally sink the spikes into the soil.
Et voila! Once filled with recylced green waste, we have a new tree pit ready for planting. A tad wobbly, but we’re jolly pleased with our first attempt. Now we know that it is possible to create DIY edged tree pits, we’ll buy more edging for other neighbours to do the same.
The world is now our oyster, be it planting wildflowers,
or perennials.
I really like the idea of planting some Erigeron karvinskianus in my tree pit this year, giving daisies from June until November and returning to do the same the following year, with perhaps a Hollyhock (as above) for a bit of height too.
Or possibly planting some Allium bulbs in September for a version of this magnificent tree pit, spied at Hampton Court Flower Show one year.
These tiny growing spaces are great for brightening-up the whole neighbourhood, and can also afford gardeners the opportunity to hone their planting skills (in these sometimes most challenging of situations), to create the perfect miniature garden.
Well done Naomi and Nikki adding to the beauty of the neighbourhood. I fancy that feast of alliums just around the corner!
Hi Nicolette, Not sure in theory how long alliums would last, being so temptingly gorgeous, but it might be worth a go for next year, maybe mixed with some other perennials, just in case they disappear!
Since the council stopped funding the ‘pit wraps’ have you ever thought of asking a local garden centre or flower shop for sponsorship?
Hi Gerard, That’s a good point. We have approached local garden centres in the past for sponsorship, but unfortunately they were already backing other community growing projects. However, maybe it’s time to start looking for other local businesses who may like to sponsor our project.
Although the council no longer have the funds to build our tree pit surrounds, we have been lucky enough to receive a grant from the council’s community chest which allows us to buy seeds, edging kits, growbags, bulbs for autumn planting etc, which really helps us to continue and expand our project-now in year 5!
I love this. Just love it.
I saw your piece about tree pits last year too- such an inspiration. I spoke to our local authority and they were resistant, citing trip hazards and pushchairs.
Your pavements dont look any wider than ours- I wanted to know how your authority has responded.
Do you label the pits at all? When one street tried here, the council garden contractor came along and nuked the the lot with heavy duty weedkiller.
It made the local newspaper and local blogs http://deptforddame.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/guerrilla-garden-comes-into-bloom.html
Hi Nick, As it was our local authority that gave away wild seeds in the first place and then edged the tree pits for us, we don’t have any problems with them as they positively encourage our activities (and our funding comes from the Islington Community Chest as they really like or community project). Can’t understand why Lewisham would have a problem-Health and Safety gone mad?
Last year we did have problems with contractors being over zealous and clearing our nurtured tree pits. The council’s plan is to paint a stencil by each tree pit that is being cultivated and then hopefully let other departments-street cleaning, trees etc. know what is happening, so that this doesn’t happen again!
The stencil plan sounds a great solution.
It may well be a H&S issues as they are generally really supportive of community gardening initiatives. There are over 80 community gardens in Lewisham now.
Some streets have lost their trees and it would be fantastic if local residents themselves could replace them with colour and greenery.
I am so impressed and very inspired they all look simply lovely.
Hi Sue, Everyone does their own thing, so each tree pit looks individual, and seen en masse, the whole street is enriched and bursting with blooms!
They’re wonderful! I love them all. Thanks for the beautiful and creative inspiration. 🙂
Hi Susan, I think the council was originally inspired by residents ‘pimping their pavements’ in another part of the borough, which lead to them give away seeds, inspiring many others in their wake. Amazing how one bit of planting can have such a knock-on effect. Glad you like our tree pits!
Completely wonderful. Just magic.
Hi Liz, yes, these pocket-sized gardens really do look wonderful come late spring and summer. Thanks for your lovely comment!
What a brilliant idea but do the dogs kill them because we all know what dogs like to do. Unfortunately they wouldn’t last until the next morning in our area because they would be vandalised or stolen just for the fun of it but its a super idea and I can only wish more communities would follow suit.
Hi Gaynor, Most dog trouble is in winter, when the plants have died back, as pits can be seen as a blank canvas!! Once there are plants in the tree pits, dog owners tend to go elsewhere. We have had a few thefts of plants, especially if a new large perennial plant in flower has just been planted, but if we sow seeds, or just start off with small plants, most pits are left alone and do really well.
Love this! I have a tree outside my house that is crying out for a planted tree pit! Suggestions for hardy perennials that take a bit of trampling and dog damage might be needed though…
Hi Owen, Think this might need a whole post to itself! Tree pits are challenging, not only having to deal with dog damage, but they’re a tough, dry old spot for perennial plants to grow in. Adding extra soil does of course help, but I’d plump for hardy mediterranean or drought tolerant (S. African) plants, that can handle a bit of neglect.
Lavender, Rosemary, and Sage would be good and would provide year round structure and interest-easily pruned if they did get a bit on the expansive side. They eventually get quite woody too, so might help to keep dogs off the area.
I did see a Buddleia giving a tree a run for it’s money round the corner-no doubt self-seeded, and maybe a tad too competitive for the health of the tree. I’ve found Tulbaghias (look like a mini agapanthus) really drought tolerant and their lovely lush grey grey leaves are evergreen too or sedum would work well, hopefully keeping a tight form in this more challenging growing spot or possibly red hot pokers for a bit of height and colour?. I do hope this is helpful.
If anyone has any other suggestions, do pile in.
Wonderful idea, I just love it!
Hi Karen, glad you like them! Tree pits are great pocket-sized gardens that you can really experiment with each year to try and create a fantastic all-singing, all-dancing spot in your street. I love them too!
Such a great idea. Really want to try and get some of the local Britain in Bloom beds looking a little more interesting this year. I love the planting in your tree pits. Not a begonia or busy lizzie in sight. 😉
Hi Wellywoman, we do occasionally see the odd bedding plant, but it’s generally mixed in with all sorts of other plants-grasses, perennials and annuals. The annual seed mix is so easy-just scatter the seeds and then nature does the rest. Likewise, perennials make much lighter work than bedding, so an easier option too!
I loved the experiments Sarah Raven did in her wildflower BBC programmes: Bees butterflies and Blooms Working with local authorities, she created some wonderful, more relaxed planting, moving away from the more rigid annual bedding schemes. These looked stunning, and were in turn great for the bees. Good luck!
What a delightful idea, particularly like the 3rd from last photo, looks lovely.
Hi Mark and Gaz, Glad you like the tree pits. They pop up all over the borough as they’re such a great way of greening up our streets. The pic you like is outside Judy’s garden She’s a fantastic gardener (in a nearby area), with wonderful plant knowledge and sometimes opens her garden for the yellow book.
Fantastic! How beautiful your neighborhood must be! They have been doing this for ages in the big cities in Holland, Especially during tulip season it is so wonderful to have some color in the concrete and brick city streets. I hope you will share some photo’s again this spring/summer!
Hi Laila, Yes, I loved all the plantings in the streets in Amsterdam when I was there last June. Feel a visit may be needed again in April/May to see all the Tulips. Always good to have an excuse to visit Amsterdam.
I’m sure the local canine population will enjoy this initiative, and do their best to keep the pits well-watered! 🙂
Hi Mark, yes, dogs can be a problem, but the more tree pits are planted, the more (responsible) dog owners encourage their beasts to do their business elsewhere!
Completely agree with everyone about how cool this looks. One of the most inspirational stories I’ve heard, a community coming together via gardening is totally amazing 🙂 I just love it!
Hi Anna, Gardening is a simple yet effective activity that everyone can join in with and it works in our community. Top that off with getting together over tea and cake a few times a year, and you’re on to a winner!
These are great. I would love to do a similar project here in E5 or N16 if anyone is reading and is interested. I wanted to do up the tree pit right outside our door but next door have already claimed it as a serious dog toilet! Otherwise I have some spare seeds from last year for your project if you need them. They came free with magazines and some are Sarah Raven wildflowers. My garden is a bit too shady for them.
Hi Claire, why not try planting your Sarah Raven wildflower seeds a bit further down the street? Once you start working on a tree pit, it’s amazing who will stop and chat with you and you may well meet others nearby who would like to get involved.
Also noticed that ‘Nicky’s seeds’ have a huge selection of wildflower seeds, with some designed for shadier spots too.
Oooh, didn’t know you could bend it too, wonder if that might be the solution to edging my front garden, as well as making smart tree pits for you! Love the idea of Erigeron karvinskianus and hollyhocks. Just generally love Erigeron karvinskianus so hope it germinates, or I’ll be buying plug plants come spring! You’d think I could easily grow something so famous for self-seeding…
Hi Janet, I’ve found that some self-seeders can be the trickiest of critters to grow where you want them to grow. Having said that, I did manage to successfully grow E. karvinskianus this year from seeds, so we’re planning to grow more of the same in spring.
I think the edging comes in different thicknesses, heights and colours and should be perfect for your front garden. I’m just about to order some custom made raised beds for my front garden from Everedge too. Very excited to replace my now-crumbling wooden beds.
That gives me hope for the whole “pretty white daisies for the front garden” plan. Am getting excited about everedge option, neater than rough wood and frees up stone for the other side, thank you!
Hi Janet, I think this slim but tough edging can be a great option, especially if you don’t have large planting areas where some wood edging (ie sleepers or scaffolding boards) could take up a whole lot of the space. It also has an aesthetic all of it own and should be long lasting too. I’ve ordered my beds to be made up of mild steel which should hopefully rust over winter (with a bit of help from a salt spray or washing up liquid aparantly!).
Looking forward to reading how your front garden daisies progress on your blog next year!
This is great! We have some tree pits in West Hampstead too & I’m trying to find some edging to protect ours from dogs & people trapsing all over. But I’m worried about putting something in that could be a potential trip hazard. Did you have any problems with people tripping or the council ? Would welcome any advice. Thanks so much x