Miyawaki planting is a set of principles, not a set of rules. Each site is different, and being in the centre of London, UCL Academy’s land was at a premium. The result was a very small pocket Miyawaki forest and a Miyawaki hedgerow funded by Doughty Street chambers.
The school’s pupils took tackling the climate crisis into their own hands and drew up a detailed garden design with advice from Dream for Trees and the Camden Climate Alliance. They and members of Doughty Street planted 200 whips and 12 trees, including fruit trees alongside creeping jasmine and ivy to create natural visual and pollution barriers. The team also planted a Bushy. This hairy-leafed cotoneaster is known as a ‘superplant’ in that it helps soak up pollution on busy roads.
A micro-forest of 200 trees, correctly planted and prepared, functions as an ecological oasis in the heart of a busy, hot, polluted city. It provides canopy and understory, supporting insects, birds and plant life.