Bargain-hunters looking to fill their garden with greenery can pick up cheap trees from a council depot. Bath and North East Somerset Council will host two sales as part of its aim to plant 100,000 trees in the area by May 2023 to benefit the environment.
The authority (BANES) said the events followed the "overwhelming success of previous tree giveaway and sale events". The first will take place in Midsomer Norton this weekend, and half of the stock has already been snapped up.
People will be limited to five trees and can pre-order online and book a collection slot for this Saturday, October 15 or Sunday, October 16. Collection will be from the Radstock Road Council Depot.
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A council spokesperson said: "A variety of species [will be] on sale to suit a range of garden sizes, at fantastic value with trees in 10 litre containers at just £10, and trees in five litre containers at just £5 – at just a fifth of usual retail price.
"A 2.5m pot grown tree would normally retail at around £50 and we are selling them for just £10, a 1m potted tree would be around £25 and we are selling them for just £5."
The fee paid will be reinvested in running other similar offers in future planting seasons, the council said. A spokesperson added: "The trees have been selected to fit into the average domestic garden, with some larger species available.
"This will help us increase urban greening, increasing carbon capture and improving air quality, help enhance opportunities for wildlife, reduce the heat island effect and just simply make urban life better for citizens and nature.
"Please note when you come to collect your tree(s) please arrive with an empty vehicle. The trees are up to 2.5m tall but will fit in a medium sized family car. Our team will be on hand to help you with loading."
People can already pre-order and book a half-hour collection slot on the council's website for the Midsomer Norton sale, while trees for the second event will go on sale online at 5pm on Friday, November 4. Collection will be in Bath on Saturday, November 12 and Saturday, November 13.
Trees for sale for the Midsomer Norton event include a £10 Cotoneaster shrub of between two and two and a half metres tall, a £5 crab apple tree of up to one metre tall, and a £10 English oak tree measuring up to three metres tall.
Field maple, hazel, Himalayan birch, silver birch and Tibetan cherry are among the other types of tree listed online, and pictures are included on the website to help people chose based on what it could grow to look like. There is also information about how large they could become and which conditions they thrive in.
The council has advised that sales are non-refundable and availability will be on a first-come first-served basis based on the pre-ordering and booking system. Anyone who does not collect during their allocated collection slot will not be able to reschedule, and the trees will be donated to other planting projects.
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