I love a Chinese proverb.
Anyone who knows us will know that we’ve gone tree-mad in the last three years, planting over 30 specimen trees, 3000 hedging whips and hundreds of other native and ornamental plants (with local provenance) in our little field.
We’ve swapped spending any spare cash on almost everything that normal folks do, in favour of ‘investing’ in our own mini landscaped estate – something that has brought us more joy than we could ever have imagined.
I remember my Mum telling me that you are officially a grown-up on the day you have to buy a lightbulb instead of beer and clothes with money from your paycheck.
It’s a brutal awakening.
I think rather than the next financial milestone being a mortgage or a pension, for me it was buying trees.
Catching the Tree-Bug
Here are three things I learned from buying and planting trees:
- Trees can be perceived as (& sometimes are) very expensive and so they blummin should be… because….
- They take forever to grow… which makes you question your own mortality and wonder whether it’s worth it
- …but somehow, despite the cost, lack of instant gratification and enforced contemplation that comes with planting trees, it is very definitely worth it.
But I also learned the following less obvious things:
- They can be a real worry – are they too wet, too dry, in the right place, did the buzzard break the leader… the list of things that can go wrong (and you can’t do anything about) is endless – it’s most definitely like having a new living addition to care for
- They completely and utterly change the character of a place. Even small trees seem to have an enormous impact…. Surprisingly so
- Forest bathing isn’t just for the Japanese…. And this brings me to my next point
Why You Should Invest In Trees For Your Dog Field
Something that is very often overlooked by all of us who own or rent a bit of land, is that we have access to a big area of green space.
When people come to use the dog field you might not realise that as well as the carefree off-lead fun they have with their dog, they also get the benefits of being in nature themselves which is one of the rabbit holes we’ve been down when looking at what makes a dog field popular.
As you might know, we’re data geeks and so when we discovered that on average, dog fields with woodland areas charge 22% more than pasture-type fields and have 14% greater occupancy (as well as being booked up far further into the future), we decided to get into the weeds with a panel of dog field users.
I won’t bore you with the results of this study but what I can tell you is that you probably should plant some trees!
5 Reasons Not to Plant Trees in Your Dog Field
I was sharing some of this intel with Sarah, our account manager at our tree nursery and we began discussing the reasons that people give for not planting trees in dog fields.
- Objection 1 – They’re not sure which trees to plant because they know some of them are toxic
- Objection 2 – They are worried about looking after them or them dying or getting ruined by dogs
- Objection 3 – They don’t think there’s any point because their dog field is doing really well and they don’t need to make any expensive investments
- Objection 4 – They’re a faff to mow around!
- Objection 5 – Any trees of any size are really expensive
So we set about dealing with those objections…
The British Dog Fields Tree Collection
I wanted to make it easy for anyone who feels that they’d like to plant some trees but they’re a bit put off by all the faff of figuring it out.
Sarah and I put together a pack– a mix of 5 native species/species inkeeping with the area (local provenance) in packs of 14 individual trees.
The 14 individual trees in your pack are:
- All dog safe
- All hardy and will tolerate most UK rural environments (we can do a specialist mix if required)
- They look FABULOUS together in a small woodland cluster
- They come with all the information you need to plant them properly, look after them and protect them
Objection 5 (a pricey addition) is subjective. I think in time we’ll be able to directly correlate the popularity of a dog fields with the presence of trees – I really do.
These trees come from one of the most prestigious nurseries in the UK – they supply landscaped gardens and public attractions as well as some of the most beautiful private gardens across the country.
Sounds expensive I hear you cry!
However buying cheap trees can be a false economy and we have negotiated a 15% discount on our collection. In addition, should you want to add something else to your pack that’s a bit special, we can extend that discount to specimen trees as well.
Good genetics is vital for the tree’s health and vitality so paying a little bit more is often worth it for peace of mind plus having done a lot of research we found that with the discount we can offer, our pack is better value than 75% of the quotes we got from local nurseries.
We also offer comprehensive care instructions and the exceptional early life care they get at the nursery means that these trees have had a very good start in life. The heads have been formatively pruned to develop a fantastic strong crown over the coming years and they are fully containerised in airpots which promote lots of fibrous roots ready to grow immediately the season gets underway. Just follow the care instructions (most specifically planting depths, staking and watering) and they will thrive with you.
Because of the way these trees are grown – being fully containerised – it is possible to plant them at any time of year but planting from September to March is ideal.
We have put together three different packages based on your needs:
The Farm Package
For those with experience of tree planting
- 14 mature trees at approximately 4m tall and 10-14 cm girth (dependent on the best mix for your location)
- Planting and care guide
- Delivery to the curbside (cost on application)
The DIY Package
A do-it-yourself package, IKEA style – with all the pieces
- 14 mature trees at approximately 10-14 cm girth (dependent on the best mix for your location)
- Stakes and support
- Fertiliser
- Tree compost
- Planting and care guide
- Delivery (cost on application)
The Tree Planting Concierge Service
Professional planting and installation
- 14 mature trees at approximately 3-4m tall and 10-14 cm girth (dependent on best mix for your location)
- Stakes and support
- Fertiliser
- Tree compost
- Planting by the specialist team
- 1 year guarantee*
Extra Information
* Delivery charges are location based – To find out what the delivery charge would be to your property please contact info@britishdogfields.org.
** Cost based on average installation cost – this can be more or less based on the location and trickiness of the site! Please contact us for a quote info@britishdogfields.org.
If you want to plant them yourselves you will need to dig some big holes (I would use a digger if you have access to one but you can do this with some elbow grease!) and have a method of moving the trees from the delivery point which can be a heavy duty sack barrow.
Ordering A British Dog Fields Tree Collection
If you’re interested in ordering a collection for your woodland cluster, please email us with your delivery location, the package you’re interested in, and any questions you have!
Bespoke Orders
If you would like us to put together a bespoke order for you, or you would just like a few trees to get started, email us at info@britishdogfields.org and we will arrange to chat through your needs.
If you do one thing to improve your field this year, I would plant some trees.
BDF Members: You will find a comprehensive list of dog safe trees and shrubs, native and non-native in the member area.