Tree bonanza for Brackenfell park

A non-profit company planted 100 trees in a Brackenfell park on Saturday.

Apple Tree Initiatives was celebrating the first anniversary of its founding last year. Local gardeners support it to grow food and other plants with ecological benefits.

Ward councillor Grant Twigg and Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer were among the guests at the tree-planting at the Suikerbossie Park community garden in Protea Village.

Representatives from various organisations, including Brackenfell Community NPO, Lions Club Brackenfell and Green for Life, were also at the event.

Mandy Leibbrandt, the director of Apple Tree Initiatives, said they had planted more 250 trees in the park since last Wednesday.

“The vegetables we grow go to the gardeners' homes, and anything that is left we harvest and deliver it directly to the people who need it in our neighbourhood. We have two companies donating seedlings to our project and we also received a grant from the Department of Agriculture for a borehole.

“The park has been dead in the past. Drug dealers used it for doing their business. Now it is alive again, and it looks beautiful. People walk their dogs and bring their kids.”

The trees were donated by the provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, local farmers and other donors.