A GARDEN centre in Somerset is inviting worthy causes to contact them this month (January, 2010) to find out how they could qualify to receive free tree saplings.
Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre, which is located at Monkton Heathfield near Taunton, is offering between 50 and 100 young trees to schools, charities, village organisations and community groups that would like them for projects they are working on this year.
Andrew Pitman, Plant Manager at the family-run garden centre, explained: “To tie in with the start of the New Year and a new decade, we’ve got 2,010 small sapling trees to give to any worthy causes that would like them for schemes they are running this year.
“We operated a similar scheme in 2009 that was incredibly successful, so once again we’re inviting anyone who feels that their school, charity or group is deserving of the saplings to get in touch.
“We do have a limited number of trees and are allocating them on a first come, first served basis so we urge people to submit their requests as soon as possible. The closing date for requests is 4pm on Sunday, February 28, 2010.”
The garden centre will be giving away groups of between 50 and 100 small saplings, known as whips. The trees are indigenous British varieties.
Andrew added: “As the saplings are fairly small they are ideal for areas and projects where they can be planted together in groups of around 50 or 100. They would be perfect for hedging or creating small woodland areas.”
Worthy causes that apply for the trees must write in to Andrew at the garden centre giving details of their project and why they think they deserve to receive a group of saplings.
Andrew continued: “We want to help not-for-profit organisations and worthy causes and add a little bit of green to their lives. Requests from commercial bodies will not be considered.
“This is a great opportunity for communities all over Somerset to be presented with some free trees so we hope as many people as possible submit requests.”
The successful applicants will be invited to come and collect their trees from the garden centre at a mutually convenient time.
Requests for the saplings should be posted to: Andrew Pitman, Plant Manager, Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre, Monkton Heathfield, Taunton, TA2 8QN.
Last year the garden centre gave away 2,009 saplings to several worthy causes including Taunton Model Engineers for a miniature railway the group was working on in Creech St. Michael, The Castle School on Wellington Road, which received 81 young trees to help enhance its ‘green outlook’, and the Girlguiding Taunton Division.
To find out more, please visit Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre, which is located just off the A38 at Monkton Heathfield near Taunton, call Andrew Pitman on 01823 412381 or email a.pitman@monkton-elm.co.uk.
Photograph caption: (left to right) Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre’s Head of Plants, Fiona Smart, Gerry Willis from Taunton Model Engineers and Plant Adviser, David Chedzoy from the garden centre.