Roots have been put down across Petersfield with hundreds taking part in a tree-mendous whip round and planting session.

The seeds for a brighter future were planted last Saturday as The Avenue Pavilion hosted a Greening Event and Community Planting Day.

Some 250 discounted fruit trees were distributed by the Petersfield Climate Action Network (PeCAN) during the “Green Gathering” event organised by the town council.

More than 600 hedgerow whips were also planted by volunteers with the council, PeCAN, Petersfield Community Garden, Tree Squad, Tree Wardens and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust coming together in a weekend all about “community, collaboration and making a real difference for the local environment”.

The Avenue was one of six collection points for their “Fruit Tree in Every Garden” project with a further 300 being distributed at locations across East Hampshire and Havant.

“In the six years the project has been running, PeCAN have sold more than 3,500 trees,” said a spokesperson, with 18 volunteers organising pick-ups and matching customers to their trees on the morning.

“Some customers collected one tree but some ordered as many as five, which was sometimes a challenge for car boots.”

The healthy two-year-old bare rooted apple, pear, cherry, plug, greengage and cobnut trees were supplied by Mill Farm Trees, with experts Phil Paulo and Andy Moffat on hand to offer planting and care advice.

The council had a giveaway of their own as their distribution of free native trees for residential gardens was successful with 97 whips given away.

They also ran a hedge and tree planting session onsite that saw 380 hedgerow whips being planted by volunteers and tree wardens.

And there was more digging the next day as a further 240 were planted along Heath Road East by volunteers and the Friends of Petersfield Heath.