Thanks to National Lottery Players and Eden District Council, (now Westmorland and Furness Council) in October 2022 Eden Rivers Trust took control of a plot of land on an allotment in Penrith. The dream? To create an accessible community tree nursery that would open a doorway to conservation; a place where local people, volunteers and community groups could learn about trees and the river and work together; growing and nurturing locally-sourced seeds.

The resulting native saplings will be planted on river conservation sites throughout the Eden catchment; creating food and homes for wildlife; helping manage the flow of water over land and storing carbon.

September 2024

This weekend, rowan berries look ripe for harvesting and ready for potting but there are a few steps you’ll need to take if you want to see a successful sapling coming out to say hello next spring. First of all…

What do you need to look for?

We’ve seen a bumper crop of them this year but be quick as the blackbirds will be competing for their attention as autumn draws in. You’ll be looking for mid to large trees and the giveaway will be the bright red berries adorning the branches but to be sure you know your rowan from your rosehip, look out for…

Leaves

Rowan leaves are distinctive and therefore easy to identify. The deciduous leaves are arranged alternately, with each pinnate leaf comprising oppositely-arranged leaflets (typically six to eight) and a final ‘terminal’ leaflet pointing out at the end.

Berries

The berries of the rowan tree are one of its most distinctive aspects. Red, orange or even yellow, they tend to measure around 1cm across and come in dense clusters.

Harvesting

Collect the bunches directly from the tree by gripping the branch below the bunch and cutting with a pair of sharp secateurs. Take care not to remove next year’s bud! In this way, no damage is caused to the tree.

Extracting seeds from the berries

Berries can be stored for a week or two provided they are kept in a cool, dry place.

Rowan is not the easiest of the berry fruits to extract seed from, especially if they are under-ripe. Typically each berry will contain four seeds with each clinging to the inner flesh of the berry. It’s a delicate process but you’ll need to get your fingers into the berry and search for the tiny black seeds to tease them out.

Separate the pulp and the seeds into two separate containers. We’ve created a new friend called Rowan in the image to give you an idea of scale!

Planting Your Seeds

Mix your extracted seeds with half compost and half sand. Put a layer of stones in the bottom of your pot for drainage, place your mixture on top and cover with a little sand. Stand in a shady spot outdoors. The pot can remain outside for the winter. Water the pots if they show signs of drying out and protect from birds and mice if they discover your seeds.

And that’s all there is to it! Have a go and become an honorary member of our new Tree Group! Send a picture of your ‘Rowan’ to [email protected] and we’ll add him to the gallery! 🙂

A BIG THANK YOU to TCV The Conservation Volunteers for the brilliant info on their website about growing rowans which we’ve included in the details here. Be sure to visit their website for more info on growing your own trees. We’re all learning as we go along so be sure to share how you get on, what worked and what was a disaster! It’s all good info for our tree growing efforts.

March 2024

Looking in the rear view mirror

Jenni, Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator celebrates the first year of the tree nursery.

Setting up the Eden Community Tree Nursery – it’s been rather like learning to drive a car – a lot of kangaroo starts, a bit of stalling and swerving, a few emergency stops and trouble with reversing! Now, just over a year later, it’s all very different. Our fledgling tree nursery is blooming. There’s a roof on the shed, a firm surface underfoot, tables to work at, trees lined up in pots, and a beautiful shiny kingfisher logo on the shed.

The tree nursery is little bit of everything – a growing space for locally provenanced trees, an accessible place within easy reach of town, and at the same time, a project for people. All sorts of people, from all sorts of backgrounds. Regular volunteers have turned up in the sun and the rain to shape the plot and nurture the seedlings.

Neighbours have brought gifts of plants and produce, and new friends have donated water butts and snippets of wisdom. School groups, cubs, and local businesses have helped with the work and joined in with the play. Dog walkers chew over the changes by the river of painted ‘thank you’ stones. The bench offers other visitors peace and space and a lunchtime breather.

Ideas have come in barrow loads, along with the sand and the gravel for the path. There is incredible energy and huge enjoyment, talking – even singing! – learning and exploring as we travel the road together and start to ‘see trees, farms, rivers and the whole environment, differently’. There’s been no instructor and no test, but it feels like the L-plates have gone and we’re ready for the next stage of the adventure…