Carl received an oak sapling from the Mayor, Jenny Barlett, at a special service to bless the Verdun oak tree. Verdun oak trees are planted as living memorials to those who died in the First World War. Eaton Barn project and Leominster in Bloom had worked together to plant acorns from the tree. The saplings were given to local Mayors and charities.
Many acorns were collected at the end of 2017 and taken to Eaton Barn. Hundreds were individually potted and stored over winter in the fruit cage to protect them. One weekend, an unexpectedly heavy snowfall caused enough damage to the frame to let in the local squirrels, who raided the pots and sadly many of the acorns were lost.
Those that survived the attack were rescued and carefully nurtured into saplings. These special plants were presented to local schools, charities, organisations and towns so that they may continue the legacy of the Verdun Oaks.
A project by the Woodland Trust set out to trace some of the original Verdun Oaks. We are very lucky to have one of these here in Leominster from which the acorns were collected for this event. You can learn more about the history of the Verdun Oak on their website here.
