JOYCE LUCAS WHO is the Tree Warden in Oakham, Rutland, came to talk to us about “Trees”. She began by reading some apt poems and quotations about gardening and trees. Slides followed, that she had taken herself, illustrating many different species, which she interspersed with snippets of information. She speaks on behalf of the trees when they are under threat. She obviously finds it painful when any tree is felled. A small local wood has been lost to make way for housing. She bemoaned the fact that the only sign of trees
remaining was in the names of the roads.

Trees from different places were illustrated, including Canada and the Lake District as well as at different seasons of the year. One of her snippets of information was that horse ponds were originally created to enable carts to drive into the water in order to swell the wood of the wheels to fit more tightly in to their metal rims.

Oakham has an arboretum and Joyce takes great pride in arranging that specimen trees are planted for the benefit of future generations, providing variety and beauty. There will be no monthly meetings in August.

Lucy Hilton