Brentham Tree Beds

Who we are
We are a group of Brentham residents working with The Brentham Society and the informal Brentham Garden Group. Our Tree Bed Planting Champions brought neighbours of different ages, backgrounds and gardening experience together to improve the spaces around local street trees. The project was supported by a Your Voice Your Town grant from Ealing Council.

What we delivered

Having met on a couple of occasions and liaised about the type of plants we thought would be most appropriate (drought tolerant, mainly perennial with some annuals for colour if needed as well as compost) our core group agreed to meet at a local garden centre. We assembled a collection of excellent plants that all coordinated so we could offer each participant the chance to choose a selection that we knew would look and perform well.

We had help from Martin on The Brentham Society committee make a colourful poster to be used in our local notice boards and to be shared with The Brentham Society’s street representatives to share on their WhatsApp street groups as well as Alan, another committee member, uploaded to their email notifications for subscribers.

We were pleased to have a total of 17 people of various ages and backgrounds, including the four core organisers participate.

We reached out to participants by message, email and in person to confirm time slots for Saturday 1st August at their nearby chosen tree bed with our first round of planting kicking off at 10am and the last, on the day, being 3pm (with two others to be done in the near future).

Seven tree beds were planted on the main activity day and one existing bed was improved, making eight beds in total. The original aim was ten beds, and residents have committed to completing the remaining two beds

What difference the project made
The planting made an immediate visual difference to neglected tree beds and created a friendly, social day for neighbours. Participants spoke positively about taking part, while local residents later shared compliments in person and through The Brentham Society website. People said the beds looked lovely and made the area feel loved and well cared for. The group also noticed other local tree beds being planted and received requests for more activity in the future.

What we learned
The hardest part was preparing beds with dry topsoil, clay and even concrete, especially during hot weather. Good preparation, coordinated plant choices and practical aftercare were essential. We also learned that a simple shared activity can start conversations, build connections and encourage others to care for their street. Our top tip is to identify local champions, make participation easy and agree who will maintain each bed from the start.

What next
Residents will continue watering, weeding and caring for the beds. The organisers plan to check progress, support autumn bulb planting and encourage spring seed sowing.

Temporary plant labels were left in place for one week after the planting, so passers-by could understand what had been planted. They were then removed so they would not fade or become litter. We would like to place small signs reminding people to care for the planting and to avoid weed killer being used at the tree beds just planted. The group hopes to run more planting, subject to funding.

Our message to others
Speak to your neighbours and use the skills already in your community. You do not need to be an expert. A shared idea, a few committed volunteers and ongoing care can brighten a street, build pride and help people feel safer and more connected to where they live.