The town centre of Goirle, Brabant, has always had a green character. During a renovation of the centre, which included the construction of an underground parking garage, a lot of trees had to be cut down. The municipality set a condition that new trees had to be added, but planting them in open ground proved impossible due to the parking garage. Following consultation with the project developer and KuiperCompagnons from Rotterdam, the decision was taken to use trees planted in containers. The municipality reserved budget for this solution and KuiperCompagnons built their wishes into the design. 3.5 by 2 metre steel flowerpots were chosen in a classic red, fitting with the village-like character of Goirle. Various species of (multistem) trees were planted in the containers, including trident maples, Japanese walnut trees and Chinese Golden Rain Trees.
- LocationGoirle, the Netherlands
- Area2 hectares
- DesignKuiperCompagnons, Rotterdam
- Contact personEbben Nurseries, Marko Mouwen
- Planting
- GroundworksHelvoirt Green Projects, Berkel-Elschot
Trees in containers require continuous, specialised care, as they are unable to obtain their water and nutrients from the ground. The trees in Goirle are therefore connected to a water and nutrient system which is linked to a break tank on the roof of the parking garage. A static water reservoir has been created at the bottom of the tree containers. This is a space around 20 cm deep filled with clay granules as well as ground and filter fabric. So the trees have a temporary water source if the system fails. Alongside a good water supply, a special substrate for trees in containers has also been used, to encourage water absorption. And, to ensure that the trees do not dry out during hot weather, the containers have been insulated with PE foil, which reduces the heat radiation. As an extra measure, the tree containers have been planted with lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis). The leaves on this plant curl up if the ground is too dry, so it acts as another indication of any problems with the system.
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