Our strategy for this pocket of green space on Stoney Lane grew from a pop-up consultation alongside our wonderful partners, Friends of Sparkhill Park, ensuring our plan for the space was considered and worked well for the local landscape
Wanting to care for open green spaces and make them more accessible, we learnt this was a precious green space for locals with young children for whom the park was a little too far away. We were also mindful of the desire path running through the middle of the park. These are the paths that are etched into the ground over time, formed by continuous walking over the same small trail.
Altogether, we got six trees into the ground, a mix of Sweetgum and Hornbeam. The Sweetgums were selected for their love for wet ground, helping to address occasional localised flooding that happens in the space.
Both species are excellent at capturing pollution: the resinous leaves of the Sweetgum and the crinkled textures of the Hornbeam busy themselves catching harmful particulate matter in the air. These trees, which both promise a vibrant display of autumn colour, were planted in an alternating pattern to create lots of impact, complimenting the existing trees on site.
