Viva Vauxhall

Many thanks again this year to Lambeth Council’s Dave Paul for liaising with Viva Vauxhall and planting some specially requested new trees in our streets.   As well as belonging to the Bonnington Square Garden Association, Jimmy Fraser (in photo) is a VV committee member and knows more about the individual trees in our area than just about anyone else – having been involved in planting lots of them.  A new idea for the blog is that, starting next week,  Jimmy will do a ‘Tree of the month’ post and each time single out one tree in our area to talk about, including its history and how it relates to other trees in the vicinity.

Brand new trees this year
Arbutus unedo opposite Pippins Court in Vauxhall Grove.  A very healthy specimen (in photo with Jimmy) to make up the Strawberry Tree family of three in the Grove.  It doesn’t have the bright red bark of A.andrachnoidies or the smooth trunk of A.glandulosa, but is nevertheless a star winter-flowering evergreen.

Amelanchia lamarcki outside 59 Vauxhall Grove.  Another ‘Sugar Plum’ small tree from North America to go with three others in the Grove.

Liquidambar styraciflua outside 32 Bonnington Square.  A newcomer to the square in the ‘Heritage’ catergory. A unique deciduous comet-shape tree that has many qualities.  With a relatively sparse crown, it makes an ideal street tree.  Shows off Autumn colour.

New trees for old
Cratageus sp outside 13 Vauxhall Grove to replace a Hawthorn planted in 1984 that unfortunately gave up the ghost last year.  The old tree is still there alongside the new one, but will be taken out in due course.

Albizzia julibrissen in the north east corner of Bonnington Square. This replaces one of the class of 1984 that suffered a premature demise.

You can help
All the trees are good healthy specimens, but they must be kept well watered in the coming growing season.  if you live nearby one of the trees and have a watering can, please help them to get established.