Two orchards will be planted in Cardiff's Bute Park following a campaign that was set up after vandals caused thousands of pounds worth of damage last year. The vandals damaged 50 trees in the park in September last year, with a community-led campaign set up to replace the wreckage. Two trees are now set to be planted for every one that was destroyed in the attack.
Cardiff Council has granted permission for new community orchard planting in the park. There will be two locations, with one north of Blackweir playing field and a smaller orchard adjacent to Orchard Lawn, near to the Bute Park visitor centre. Orchard Lawn was once the site of an orchard that supplied the Bute family and their guests at Cardiff Castle with fresh produce.
The intention is for the smaller orchard to "introduce park visitors to the benefits of orchards" and signpost them to the larger site. A fundraiser has been set up with a target to raise £20,000, of which, at the time of writing, over £7,000 has been raised so far. Over 50 trees were destroyed between Blackweir Bridge and Pettigrew Tearooms in September last year.
