Some people plant trees for future generations. Others do it because they have collected a few horse chestnuts and suddenly feel the urge to become a forester.
My little experiment started at home in 2024. I planted some horse chestnuts from the neighbours fine chestnut tree, gave them a bit of attention, and waited to see what would happen. Not exactly a major contribution to Swedish forestry, but every forest has to start somewhere.
A few of the little trees survived their first stages of life, and three eventually made their way to Björkesö. They are now establishing themselves in their new surroundings, where they have considerably more space to grow than they had in their original nursery.
Looking at them today, I have to admit that they are doing rather well. At least, three of them are. I am choosing to interpret this as evidence of my gardening skills rather than the remarkable resilience of horse chestnuts.
The plan, of course, is to let these little trees grow, fill the gaps after cleaning, and become part of the landscape. Whether they will eventually provide shade, autumn colours, or simply a reminder of my early ambitions as a tree planter remains to be seen.
One of the young trees has developed a particularly interesting appearance. From certain angles, it looks suspiciously like something you might associate with a completely different kind of cultivation. Just to be absolutely clear: it is a horse chestnut. Nothing more exotic is growing in the Björkesö woodland — at least not as far as I know.
For now, three small horse chestnuts are growing at Björkesö. And I am already considering what to plant next.
I may not be much of a forester or forest gardener yet. My first contribution to Björkesö’s woodland is three trees that offer little in the way of timber and absolutely nothing for the dinner table. Still, every forester or forest gardener has to start somewhere.