Signature Tree Drowns from Poor Drainage
A protected oak tree in the middle of a large shopping centre “drowned” from poor drainage, a builder of the site claims. Midsummer Place in Milton Keynes, UK opened around the great oak in 2000, but before long the tree began showing signs of stress from improper planting. According to sources, the construction crew wrongly dug out drainage […]
An Urban Treehouse That Protects Residents from Air and Noise Pollution
A potted forest of trees and branching steel beams disguise this 5-story apartment building in Turin, Italy. Designed by Luciano Pia, 25 Verde brings plants up off the ground in an attempt to evade Turin’s homogeneous urban scene and integrate life into the facade of the residential building. The undulating structure creates a transition from outdoors to in, […]
Soil Compaction & What It Means for Urban Trees
There are many aspects that need to be taken account of when planting trees in urban areas – one essential factor being soil compaction. It is important to determine site environment and soil conditions in order to mitigate the constraints of compacted soil and create healthy tree planting conditions. In previous blog posts, we have detailed the soil requirements of […]
New Zealand Memorial Park Explains Their Use of ArborSystem
View the below videos to learn how a memorial park in New Zealand used ArborSystem to ensure the new trees thrive at their ANZAC war memorial, and remain healthy for many years to come. Tree Planting Strategy & Use of ArborSystem
Making a Big Difference to Global Warming
Urbanized areas may only occupy around 2% of the world’s habitable land, but they are the biggest drivers of global climate change. Referred to as “urban heat islands”, cities are usually hotter than rural areas for numerous reasons. Traffic pollution creates a greenhouse effect that traps heat at night. While the cutting down of local trees means the lose of […]
Soil Requirements of Healthy Urban Trees
Trees require adequate supply of uncompacted, well aerated, and moist soil in order to thrive. These conditions enable tree roots to obtain all the essential elements they require for healthy growth – nutrients, oxygen, and water. These soil circumstances however, are often unavailable in built urban areas. In this article, we provide a soil quality definition […]
StrataCell Installation
The Canary Wharf Crossrail Station in London, England is set to be the size of One Canada Square (a 50 story skyscraper in London) laid on its side. GreenBlue is proud to announce the completion of this exciting development by our UK team. View a fast-forward video of the construction here. StrataCells® are soil support modules that […]
11 Tree Experts & Organizations You Should Know About
Local tree experts and organizations can be a valuable resource not only to landscape architects and contractors working on landscape infrastructure projects, but also to local residents. Tree professionals are likely to know about your local tree ordinances and other ways to protect and increase urban tree populations. Below is a list of the types of […]
Specifying Tree Guards & Tree Grates: What You Need to Know
Tree guards and grates have an important role to play in maintaining healthy tree pit conditions. They can also be as aesthetically pleasing as they are functional, and offer a high quality visual design statement to any public realm or streetscape theme. For over 20 years, GreenBlue has been developing innovative products to assist trees below ground […]
Pitfalls & Challenges in Urban Tree Planting
We all know the importance of trees in our cities, however urban trees are often neglected and do not receive the appropriate care they require in urban settings. Each of these photos tell a story of neglect, disregard, or simple lack of knowledge. Learning from both our own and others’ mistakes is imperative if we are to pursue […]