Backsberg Wine Estate and Starke Ayres Garden Centre came up with a novel way to encourage tree planting last month.
With the purchase of a case of wine from the Backsberg tasting room during september, people had the option of taking home either a halleria lucida tree or a voucher for starke ayres in cape town. the latter, in turn, gave away a bottle of backsberg chenin blanc 2009 with every tree purchased.
The project aimed to increase the number of trees planted during arbour week and for the month of September. ‘By including customers in this tree-planting exercise we aimed to encourage tree planting while involving as many people as possible.’
The evergreen Halleria lucida tree was chosen because of its status as the tree of the year. Commonly known as the Tree Fuchsia or Notsung, this beautiful tree attracts a variety of birds. It has bright green foliage and yellow and orange tubular flowers. It is relatively easy to grow and is well adapted to the Cape Peninsula.
Traditionally, there is a Zulu usage of the tree for medicinal purposes as well as warding off of witchcraft and lightning: pretty much everything you ever wanted in a tree!
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