The blue heart campaign aims to rewild Britain garden by garden and council by council. In emoji speak, a  means a non-romantic friendship or loyalty, trust and peace - which is perfect for our love and friendship for nature and biodiversity. 

Like a lot of our initiatives it's been many people working together: one to make the hearts, another to paint and add stakes, multiple members to run the stalls and posts on Facebook so that we could give the hearts away; several members to plant the Kings Road hedge and two of us to decorate the blue hearts to explain to the public what the hedge was for. 

Does the road you live in have a grass verge?
Would you like a tree or trees to grow there? Hampshire County Council Highways department is inviting you to request that they plant one for you, free of charge!

Yes, it’s now possible to ask for a tree, or trees to be planted along your street. Trees will add beauty, help clean the air and keep your environment cool during the hotter summers we are now experiencing. They provide havens for birds and insects, and capture carbon.

To ask for a tree to be planted, visit
https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/roadmaintenance/roadproblems/tree-planting and see what’s on offer. Then click on the green button at the bottom of the page and make your request – you can also express a preference for the type of tree to be planted.

The Highways Department has been enhancing the tree cover along several streets in recent years and is keen to plant more. Not every site will be suitable, but your chance of success is going to be much greater if you make a request using the procedure above.

No grass verge?
We appreciate that not everyone is lucky enough to have a grass verge but if you have nearby areas of public land it may be worth approaching your local borough council and asking if they have a similar scheme.

Care for your tree
If a tree is planted near you, bear in mind that its chances of surviving and thriving will be much higher if you water it during dry spells especially between May to September. Please give it two buckets a week, – washing up water or bath water will do nicely.

Author Sarah Hirom ( adapted from an article by Andy Moffat)

Three volunteers from the Trees and Bees group joined with the very friendly Public Spaces Team from Fareham Borough Council to rake level and stamp down a wild flower mix in a part of Fareham Cemetery. In less than 2 hours, the group and Public Spaces Team prepared and planted an area approximately the size of a tennis court. It has been seeded with a mainly perennial mix of native flowers, no grasses,  with some annuals included.

We are hopeful this area will become a haven for bees and butterflies and warm the hearts of the cemetery visitors for years to come.