Last year my daughter got married and wanted trees as gifts/favours for her guests. It was received with great enthusiasm and so I decided to set it up as a commercial proposition. In fact it tied in nicely with me selling the
business I had run for twenty three years along with the property so as I am a young 57 year old and not ready to put my feet up yet, I was looking for a new venture.
Now I have a 45ft Polly tunnel with around 7,000 trees in little pots, they are all just germinating now. Most of them are Oaks but I also have Horse Chestnut, Sweet Chestnut, and Walnut. Then I have lots of seeds in
trays that will need potting on - these are Ash, Silver Birch, Alder, Maple, Beech, Hornbeam and Holly.
First there is the green issue and on virtually every news bulletin there is something about Climate Change Carbon offsetting and act locally think globally etc etc. Well this is a very good way of doing something really positive for the environment and also for the natural community. Trees are at the base of the food chain and support a vast array of other species so by planting one tree you are vastly increasing the population of all sorts of other species.
Secondly there is the immortality side. We are only on this planet a short time and most of the things we get and contact with will be with us even less time. This computer that I am at now will no be in the skip in 5 to 10 years time. Trees go on for a long time, of all the trees I am supplying the Silver Birch has the shortest life at around 70 years so will probably outlive all the wedding guests but the Oak can go on for easily 300 years and some for 500 years. What a brilliant thing to do to set something going that could be around when you have long been forgotten unless of course you become someone really famous . There are trees in Britain that were planted during the civil war, Cromwell's time.
'By giving each of your guests an English tree seedling as a wedding favour your wedding favour will do the planet a favour, each tree will literally store up tons of Carbon in its life time and will also provide food and a home for hundreds of other species. Each tree costs only £3.50 delivered and comes in a protective 'blister pack' which keeps it fresh and allows easy transport away fromthe wedding. Also there is a 'Certificate of Provenance' for the guests to fill in which records the date of the wedding the names of the Bride and Groom and most importantly where the tree was eventually planted. Imagine your great great great grandchildren finding the certificate and then going to see the tree that was planted to celebrate your wedding.'
Guides for Brides would like to thank Alan for his input.
www.wedding-tree-favours.com
