Canterbury’s Parks, Wildlife and Trees (Beautiful English Countryside)

Canterbury is a place of many surprises. It’s the home to Canterbury Cathedral, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Church. But it also has parks, wildlife and trees! The city was granted its first Charter in 1158 by King Henry II after he had defeated his brother-in-law Stephen at the battle of Lincoln.

Today, Canterbury still retains much of its medieval character with cobbled streets winding through old buildings that have been converted into shops or restaurants.

Canterbury’s Parks include Beautiful Botanic Gardens, Camden Park and the Canterbury Museum and Art Gallery and Canterbury’s Wildlife includes the white tailed sea eagle, buzzards and a wide variety of birds including kites, sparrows magpies and swallows to name but a few.

Local Tree Species in Canterbury

The trees in Canterbury include oak and elm on The Mount (near the Cathedral), cherry at St Margaret’s Churchyard, lime at the White Horse Memorial, and Scots pine on the River Stour.

Oak Trees

Oak trees are majestic and have a long lifespan. They can live up to 500 years! But this also means that they need more care than other types of trees. Oak trees grow best in climates with warm summers, mild winters, and moist soils. This is typically found in the southeastern United States from Texas to North Carolina or on the west coast of Ireland and Scotland. However, they will thrive elsewhere if you take good care of them!

Oak tree leaves change colors during autumn which is a beautiful sight for those who love the autumn season. It’s important to rake up any leaves that might fall onto your oak tree so it doesn’t rot away underneath all those leaves during winter time when there’s no rain to wash them away.

The leaves of an oak tree can be used for things such as mulch, compost and animal feed. They also make excellent firewood because it burns longer than other types of wood!

Elm Trees

Elm trees are the longest living broad leafed deciduous tree in North America. Elm is a hardy tree, and will grow in a variety of different soil types. It is well adapted to survive urban environments because it can withstand smog from nearby factories or traffic congestion that cause acid rain.

Elm trees are one of the largest broad-leaved deciduous tree species growing up to 100 feet tall with trunk diameters as large as six feet. The bark is grey, rough and very deeply furrowed.

Elm tree leaves turn yellow in the fall before they drop off it’s branches as winter approaches. There are many different types of elms including European or Dutch Elm (Ulmus carpinifera) which grows to heights up to 40 feet with a trunk that can be up to four feet in diameter.

The leaves of a European Elm tree are oval shaped, do not have any teeth on the margin and are arranged asymmetrically on the stem with one leaf opposite another or two leaves alternating along the twig. The flowers that grow from elm trees are small and greenish-yellow which turn into small, roundish fruits.

The leaves of an elm tree can be used for mulch or compost and the wood is valuable because it has a straight grain which makes it perfect for things like furniture or musical instruments. Elm trees are also very popular with beekeepers who use them to produce honey!

Lime Trees

Lime trees are found in many parks and gardens throughout the world. The lime tree is a broad-leaved evergreen with a dense spreading crown and an attractive, dark green foliage. They were imported from Europe in the 1700s and are now mainly used as street trees.

Artificial fertilizers should be avoided as they cause damage to the lime tree’s growing point. Lime trees thrive in acidic soil that has been enriched with leaf litter, compost and other organic matter. The lime tree should be watered every two or three days during dry periods but over watering of this plant is as damaging as under watering it. Pruning should only be carried out when necessary, preferably after it rains so that the inner bark develops a protective layer of cork.

Lime trees are a popular choice in landscaping because they’re tolerant of salt and pollution, can withstand drought conditions when mature and have beautiful fragrant blossoms that appear during the warmer months. They also provide shelter for birds such as turtledoves and swallows to name but a few!