Hug a tree for Ireland's National Tree Week, beginning next weekend – a nationwide festival of celebration centred on our best-loved garden plants.
On launch day next Sunday (1 March) you can pick up your own free tree from the Tree Council of Ireland, who are giving them away at Castletown House in Co. Kildare. While you're there, enjoy the many tree-related events taking place including tree walks, wood turning, children's activities, tree planting, music and poetry.
But if you can't make it there are dozens of things going on all over the country to get you and your kids enjoying the wonderful world of trees. You'll find nature trails, talks, tree climbing, competitions and much more happening near you on the Tree Council's website at www.treecouncil.ie.
Or why not plan your own celebration? Pick a tree from our garden centre here in Athlone to plant in your own back garden or to donate to a good cause – your local school, perhaps, or a community garden. It's a great time for planting all kinds of trees, from fruit trees to ornamentals, and many are in beautiful blossom right now from wildlife-friendly rowans to crabapples, lilacs and magnolias. It's a gift that just keeps giving, for many years to come.
