The Rotary Club of Timaru has been planting up a storm for its centennial in five years’ time.
It has planted 150 pin oak trees along the the new cycle track on the Pleasant Point Highway.
Project lead Bruce Borrell said they had planned to plant one tree for every year they had operated, but overshot the mark by 50 trees ‘‘thanks to a donation’’.
Mr Borrell said they had chosen to plant pin oaks, as there were already some planted at the beginning of the track.
He said they also liked the ‘‘lovely autumn colour’’ the trees provided, as well as the fact they were deciduous, which meant they would lose their leaves in winter, so there would not be too much shade on the track.
Mr Borrell said planting ‘‘wasn’t very pleasant’’ in the rain, but he had heard it was ideal for trees.
The club was thankful to Fulton Hogan for not only digging the holes with its machinery but supplying all the compost.
He said the company made the planting ‘‘so much more efficient’’.
Plantorama had propagating the trees over the last few years and had been ‘‘helpful in their advice’’.
