PLANTING REPORT Great Oaks, Basildon

Great Oaks - 22 Great Oaks - 23 TREES ACROSS THE SITE

The selection aims to fully support the identity and place-making objectives for the project while enhancing local climate resilience, public health and wildlife.

The trees will flow throughout the development in a unified design creating relationships both within the varied planting environments of the development and the borrowed landscape of the surrounding area.

The trees selections are sensitively considered with support from an assigned tree specialist to identify potential conflicts between trees and infrastructure, ensuring effective collaborative solutions throughout.

Key aspects of the selection process require;

• Sizing and design of the below-ground rooting environment to ensure sustainable relationship between canopy layers and architecture. • Tree placement and treatment of the tree surface opening in context of the commercial and residential practicalities. • Tree species selection to ensure a positive contribution to overall local urban canopy and the relevant ecological and health related benefits. • Maintenance and management considerations for the long term sustainability of the project including trees chosen to thrive in specific locations.

Chosen trees enhance wildlife benefits sand habitat value;

• Focus on nectar, fruit and seeds, as well as the density, structure and seasonality of the tree canopy. • Maximise the total volume of the tree canopy where deemed appropriate . • Creating layered tiers that support habitat environments by incorporating shrubs and smaller trees and ground cover. • Trees selected for mitigation of air pollution where appropriate.

Betula Pendula Groves

Silver birch provides food and habitat for more than 300 insect species – the leaves attracting aphids which provide food for ladybirds and other species further up the food chain. The leaves are also a food plant for the caterpillars of many moths, including the angle-shades, buff tip, pebble hook-tip, and Kentish glory. Birch trees are particularly associated with specific fungi, including fly agaric, woolly milk cap, birch milk cap, birch brittlegill, birch knight, chanterelle and the birch polypore (razor strop).Woodpeckers and other hole-nesting birds often nest in the trunk, while the seeds are eaten by siskins, greenfinches and redpolls.

Trees selected at 10-12 girth single stem planted in clusters to initiate stronger root systems in poor soil substrates creating stronger, healthier plants.

Great Oaks - 24 TREE LOCATIONS ACROSS COURTYARD PODIUM

Betula pendula assorted sizes from specimen trees to coppice groves.

Large Specimen Betula including choice tree used for the podium hole feature.

Singular specimens rising out of pathway hardscape.

Coppice groves of 3-5 smaller trees

Cornus sanguinea and Euonymous Europea lower tier shrub under story.

Juniperus Communis evergreen trees and shrubs varying from 1.5-2.5 in height

Alnus glutinosa single multi stem trees, 12cm girth dotted around perimeter and intermingling with edges of coppice groves.

Great Oaks - 24 Great Oaks - 25 THE COURTYARD TREE VARIETIES

Across the courtyard trees are chosen for their compatibility within the specific aspects of the varied landscape.

1. Aesthetic relationship to both the architecture and the borrowed landscape

2. Ecological support for local wildlife habitat and community health benefits

3. Environmental compatibility to the site conditions

COURTYARD SELECTION

Varieties chosen for resilience and practical requirements associated with pedestrians and domestic relationships to close proximity buildings.

Betula Pendula Multi Stem Alnus Glutinosa Euonymus Eurapeus Cornus Singuinea

Used as single stem en masse Resiliant - Thrives in wet soils - Pollution Mid tier shrub/ small tree- good for High aesthtic interest - habitat layer - absorbant habitat layering - Durable - Pollution Absorbant - fruit for birds High Value to wildlife Excellent choice for SUDs - fruit source for wildlife Wildlife attractant excellent autumn aesthetic

Great Oaks - 26 PODIUM GARDENS PLUG PLANTING PALETTE

Through careful placing and sensitive consideration of key planting aspects a lush, textural planting with tiered layers and ground covers creates a tranquil, dappled woodland back drop to the community gardens.

These plants from the bones of the ground layer woodland planting while open soil will be seeded with woodland wildflowers that will intermingle creating a rich, changing landscape.

HERBACEOUS PLUG PLANTING :

Molinia poul Peterson - Sesleria Caerulea - Carex praegracilis

Carex muskingunensis - Carex remota - Anthriscus Sylvestris -

Selinum Walachanum - Centranthus rubus Alba - Eupatorium Perfoliatum

Dryopteris Felix Mass - Polystichum setiferum - Dryopteris affinis ‘Crista- ta

Primula Vulgaris - Primula Viris - Anenome Numerosa -

Allium sphaerocephalon -

Great Oaks - 26 Great Oaks - 27 PODIUM GARDENS SEED MIXES

Seed mixes dispersed across the site in key allocated locations will be encouraged to colonise throughout planting and between paving and crushed site aggregates.

A wide range mix of seeds will offer a vital enriching seed bank to the site with dfifferent opportunities emerging depending on aspect and conditions. In such a way the seed mixes offer a vital wildness and ecology to the site.

Bauder Wild Flower

Alliaria petiolata - Allium ursinum - Digitalis purpurea Eupatorium cannabinum -Hemp Agrimony - Filipendula ulmaria Hyacinthoides non-scripta - Primula vulgaris - Prunella vulgaris Silene dioica- Teucrium scorodonia Torilis japonica -

Grasses

Agrostis capillaris - Anthoxanthum odoratum - Brachypodium sylvaticum Cynosurus cristatus - Deschampsia cespitosa - Festuca rubra - Poa nemoralis

Sowing Rates 100 g per m2

Great Oaks - 28 INTENSIVE ROOF GARDEN STRUCTURAL SELECTION

Tree selection continues with inspiration of canopy layers discovered within the neighbouring SINC.

Varieties chosen for resilience in open aspects prone to extreme conditions; multi stem structure, practical relationships to human traffic, immersive, natural aesthetic and edible opportunities where possible.

ULEX EUROPAEUS Long periods of seasonal interest. Durable on exposed areas - High Visual interest - Wildlife attractant.

STANDING DEAD Taking cut architectural specimen logs from branches of trees on deconstruction of site or from local nature reserve Essex Fields. Ex- cellent source of habitat layer for bio diversity - Engaging structural element for visual/ iconic signature of the site.

ULEX EUROPAEUS JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS

STANDING DEAD

JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS specimens chosen for their unique character. Evergreen shrubs providing excellent seasonal interest including all year round sheltering from prevailing winds.

Great Oaks - 28 Great Oaks - 29 ROOF GARDEN PLUG PLANT PALETTE

Holding the space structurally and adding seasonally changing habitat layers clump forming grasses rather than spreading and dominating forms are chosen for the roof to ensure most space is dedicated to seed mix planting.

HERBACEOUS PLUG PLANTS :

Thymus serpyllum

Festuca amethystina

Eragrostis Trichodes

Great Oaks - 30 ROOF GARDEN SEED MIXES

Seed mixes chosen for arid, harsh conditions for use in variety of crushed site aggregates substrates to ensure minimal weed interference and strong healthy plants.

Bauder Roof Garden Seed Mix

Agrimonia eupatoria - Anthyllis vulneraria - Centaurium erythraea - Centaurea nigra - Centranthus ruber - Dipsacus fullonum Echium vulgare - Galium verum - Hippocrepis comosa Hypericum perforatum - Knautia arvensis - Leontodon autumnalis Leontodon hispidus - Leucanthemum vulgare - Linaria vulgaris Lotus corniculatus - Malva moschata - Oenathera biennis Origanum vulgare - Plantago media/ lanceolata Primula veris - Prunella vulgaris - Ranunculus acris Ranunculus bulbosus - Reseda lutea - Rumex acetosa Sanguisorba minor - Sedum acre - Sedum album - Silene vulgaris Thymus polytrichus - Trifolium pratense - Agrostemma githago

Centaurea cyanusz - Chrysanthemum segetum - Matricaria recutita Myosotis arvensis - Papaver rhoeas

Sowing Rates 10 g per m2

Great Oaks - 30 Great Oaks - 31 BROWNFIELD ROOF PALETTE

The brown roofs offer the opportunity for the development to create significant biodiversity gains through a series of brown roofs designed with various aggregate and dead wood surfaces that attract important and rare insects and birds to the site.

The brown roofs will be designed for bio diversity, sown with seed mixes and planted with plug plants that primarily boost wild flowers to the site, then are left to naturalise over the years.

The design process will explore the specific varieties of plants that will support the local eco system of the site via support from local ecologists.

WILDFLOWER SEED BLANKET

Achillea millefolium - Armeria maritima- Bellis perennis - Campanula glomerata - Campanula rotundifolia - Centaurea cyanus- Centaurium erythrea - Dianthus deltoides - Echium vulgare - Galium verum Geum rivale - Linaria vulgaris - Lotus corniculatus - Lychnis flos-cu-culi - Papaver rhoes - Pilosella aurantiaca - Prunella vulgaris - Rhianthos minor - Saponaria officianalis - Scabiosa columbaria - Sedum acre - Silene uniflora

NATIVE PLUG PLANTS

Achillea millefolium - Anthyllis vulneraria - Armeria maritima Bellis perennis - Briza media - Campanula rotundifolia - Campanula glomerata - Carex flacca - Daucus carota - Festuca ovina Festuca rubra - Fragaria vesca - Galium verum - Geranium robertinum Helianthemum nummularium - Hypericum perforatum - Hypochaeris radicata - Leontodon autumnalis - Leontodon hispidus Leucanthemum vulgare - Linaria vulgaris - Lotus corniculatus Origanum vulgare- Plantago coronopus -Plantago lanceolata Primula veris - Prunella vulgaris - Ranunculus bulbosus Sanguisorba minor Scabiosa columbaria - Sedum acre - Sedum album - Silene latifolia Silene maritima - Silene vulgaris - Thymus polytrichus -Viola riviniana Viola tricolor

Great Oaks - 32 INTENSIVE ROOF BUILD UPS

1. 1 WB wildflower blanket (mixture of 36 species of wildflower + 4 grass species) 2. 2 Biodiverse substrate (FLL and GRO compliant) 3. Filter fleece 4. DSE 40 water retention and drainage layer 5. FSM 600 protection layer 6. Bauder waterproofing

Key features

• Fully FLL and GRO compliant systems • Buglife approved • Low system weight typically circa 160kg/m2 • Height of system typically 170-220mm • 13.5 Ltr of water retention within drainage board • Provides valuable ecological habitats • 24 species of native wildflowers within the blanket meet BREEAM requirements.

Benefits

• Instant visual effect from pre-grown blanket • Assists in meeting a BAP • Improves SUDs capacity of the roof • Environmentally friendly peat free product • System helps mitigate flooding Substrate topography Will range in height from 300-1000mm subject to planting environments across the courtyard podium, intensive roof garden and the extensive brown roofs.

SUBSTRATE CHOICES

Courtyard podium:

Extensive Substrate FLL compliant

Various grades (2/5mm, 5/10mm and 5/15mm) of crushed brick

Intensive Roof Garden:

Extensive Substrate FLL compliant

Plus various crushed site materials different sizings - crushed brick, concrete, glass etc

Great Oaks - 32 Great Oaks - 33 MAINTENANCE & AFTER CARE

Planting will be designed for low maintenance, light touch approach but will need support in its evolution.

Working in hand with a local volunteer group of ecologists a community gardening group would be encouraged for the site.

Professional maintenance would support the scheme with 15 visits across the year, managing the balance between seed mixes and habitat layers and ensuring weeding and pruning/ cutting back was completed.

Wherever possible community group liaison with ecologists with updates on species gain and interesting narratives will help to keep the local community engaged and support a sense of stewardship for the users who in turn will engage more with the seasonal work f the site.

EDUCATION

The nature focused innovations to be found in both the hard and soft landscaping should be celebrated and shared amongst the local communities and in particularly the school children around the area.

Creating a strong dynamic between the ecology groups and selected school classes will be key in teaching the kids about a future more in line with natural processes and general practices that can help support urban wildlife.

The children could be encouraged towards the end of the project completion to visit and get involved with dressing the site with site aggregates and cut logs keeping notes alongside the ecologist and making school reports on their studies. Then bi annual visits could occur for data recording with ecologists. This would really help to share the message of the projects narrative and to see the long term journey and evolution involved in this type of landscaping.