Trees are terrific and as this is tree planting season it is a wonderful opportunity to know your indigenous trees and plant a few of them. Trees are precious and we should be planting a tree for every major long haul journey we undertake in our lifetime - at least.

According to the World Watch Institute in its “Reforesting the Earth” study, trees can absorb CO2 at the rate of about 6 kilograms per tree, per year. They estimate that our planet needs at least 321 million acres of trees to restore and maintain soil and water resources, meet third world wood-fuel needs and remove about 780 million tons of carbon annually from the atmosphere.

For every ton of new wood that grows, about 1.5 tons of CO2 are removed from the air and 1.07 tons of life-giving oxygen is produced.

Visit www.trees.co.za and click on CO2 calculator to work out your annual carbon footprint and plant some of these indigenous trees to balance it out. Remember: Trees only reach their most productive stage of carbon storage at about 10 years.

1. Vepris Lanceolata (White Ironwood) - evergreen - interesting foliage 2. Celtis Africana (White stinkwood) – deciduous – large tree 3. Rhus Lancea (Karree) - evergreen – fast grower 4. Dodonaea Angustifolia (Sand Olive) – semi-evergreen - interesting colour foliage 5. Olea Europaea (Wild Olive) – evergreen - nice specimen tree 6. Ilex Mitis (Cape Holly) – evergreen - large tree for shade 7. Podalyria Cayptrata (Water Blossom Pea) – pretty flowers 8. Sideroxylon Inerme (White Milkwood) – berries and flowers for birds and bees Cheral Kennedy Living Matter - Garden Styling and Design http://www.livingmatter.co.za