15 April 2010
Harlow town centre is now a greener place to visit with the arrival of 14 new trees running from West Square to Market Square.
To improve the quality of the northern end of the town centre before the proposed redevelopment of the area commences, Harlow Renaissance and the Town Centre Partnership, with the support of Harlow Council has located seven trees in wooden planters in West Square to complement and extend the existing trees, with a further seven sited in East Gate and Market Square.
RHS Chelsea 2009 Flower Show Silver Flora Medal winners, Aralia Garden Design, were commissioned to select and site the trees for their attractiveness, resilience and suitability to their environment. Three deciduous species were chosen:
- Prunus maackii Amber Beauty (a type of Manchurian Cherry)
- Betula albosinensis Fascination (Chinese Birch)
- Pyrus calleryana Chanticleer (Ornamental Pear)
The tree planters have also been designed to be pleasing to the eye and resilient, being made of a treated softwood, with the planks being in the style of a railway sleeper.
Andrew Bramidge, Chief Executive of Harlow Renaissance:
“The project is designed to continue to brighten up and refresh the northern end of the town centre prior to the regeneration of the area. The trees have been carefully chosen to suit their location, and they alongside Henna Nadeem’s bold, geometric window installations around the West Square make the area a far more vibrant place to be. “
The trees will be maintained and watered by SWS, a local amenity contractor and have irrigation reservoirs to prevent drying our in extreme dry weather.