Arboretum marks 50th anniversary
BBCA Plymouth community tree project is marking its 50th anniversary.
Radford Park Arboretum, in Plymstock, was started in 1975 and now includes more than 150 different types of tree.
Initially local people fundraised for trees and then they started planting on the 27-acre site between Radford Lodge and Hooe Lake.
Volunteer and horticulturalist Graham Titchmarsh said: "Some are quite rare nationally, and very interesting, and we have quite an unusual wide range of varieties."
'Best kept secret'
The first tree to be planted was a sequoia Californian redwood.
Severe winter gales followed by the summer drought of 1976 then resulted in the loss of 80% of the original trees planted.
Many were ornamental trees or endangered species from other countries that can now no longer be exported.
Over the years volunteers have replanted the area with native species and there are now about 300 trees on the site.
"Going forward, we need to assess each tree's needs and add to the native population here," Mr Titchmarsh said.
The arboretum is popular with people living nearby, including Kevin Warley, who has a memorial tree to his father there.
"We've lived in the area all our lives and my father loved his gardening so he came down and helped," he said.
He added: "The park has been here since Tudor times so we're just enhancing it for people.
"It's one of Plymouth's best kept secrets."
A booklet marking the 25th anniversary of the site included comments by the city council's nature conservation officer at the time, Andy Stevens.
He said in the booklet: "We are indebted to those members of the community who have put so much effort into achieving a valuable resource".
The arboretum continues with the support of volunteers who help to manage the current trees and plant for the future.
To mark the 50th anniversary, the Plymouth Tree People worked with Oreston Academy to plant 12 new trees on the site.
A cherry tree was also planted by local MP Rebecca Smith.
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