The story behind Beechgrove Trees and Hedging in Dumfries

GRAEME Dalby has turned his long-held dream into reality and established a tree nursery at his smallholding in rural Dumfriesshire, Scotland.

Beechgrove Trees and Hedging lies a few miles inland from the Solway Firth, close to the village of Ruthwell. The community is renowned not only for its imposing carved stone Anglian cross “… a major monument of early medieval Europe,” but as the site of the world’s first savings bank.

Since leaving the railway town of Shildon, Co. Durham, to study ecology, Graeme has worn many different hats. He is not only an experienced biologist and land agent, but was also a volunteer with lifeboat and mountain rescue teams for many years.

For bare-rooted stock, undercutting (or root pruning) encouraged the formation of uniform vigorous root systems. For the production of container-grown tree seedlings, root-training modules simulate the process and considerably enhance survival rates. Graeme uses two sizes of root-trainers for his seedlings. (Image: FJ/SB)

His skilled search-and-rescue dogs proved invaluable in many precarious situations.

Nonetheless, the day came when Graeme thought that he had dealt with enough “death-affirming experiences” and it was time to focus on achieving his own life ambitions. He said: “I was in my mid-fifties and felt fit enough to undertake the demands of a challenging new project. Rumours of a shortage of trees – 6,000,000-plus, mostly softwoods – were circulating and I began to consider the mileage in growing trees.

“Forestry associates offered sound advice and also their opinions as to such a venture’s outcome. However, I felt I’d been given a head-start when I had the chance to buy used equipment locally.” 

Graeme’s decision to retire early and grow trees was supported by his partner in life and business Valerie Bennett, who manages nearby Caerlaverock Castle for Historic Environment Scotland. She said: “It’s great to see Graeme enjoying doing something that gives him a lot of satisfaction. Growing trees is labour intensive and we’ve also vegetable plots and animals to care for, so there’s never a shortage of work. Life at Beechgrove can get quite intense at times.”

Beechgrove Trees and Hedging was established on approximately one hectare of land. 2023 will, Graeme anticipates, probably have been the last year that his small flock of sheep grazed an adjacent expanse of ex-plantation moss. However, as Valerie and Graeme breed calves for the local meat trade, the smallholding’s half-dozen cows, bulls and bullocks will be retained.

The first COVID pandemic lockdown in 2020 assisted Graeme in activating his business plan. He said: “We had a few sheds, but as Valerie was free to help we were able to construct Beechgrove’s first temporary greenhouse. The poly-tunnel was an all-purpose flexible option intended to make the land more productive. We grew vegetables and stored machinery in it.

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“The main problem for us during lockdown was securing materials. Compost was like gold-dust as everyone was gardening.”

Out of synchronisation with the autumnal seed-collecting season, Beechgrove Trees and Hedging initially purchased small quantities of seed including sessile oak, birch, downy birch and beech from Forestart. The Shrewsbury-based company states: “To meet the growing demand for British-provenance tree seed we collect many native species from sources throughout Britain.” 

Word of mouth as to the quality of its products and the undoubted expertise of its knowledgeable proprietor has been instrumental in securing Beechgrove Trees and Hedging’s customer base. Small to modest landowners are considered to be the nursery’s most reliable market for broadleaf planting. Graeme has also capitalised on the business potential offered by the ambitious, long-term, Galloway Glens Landscape Project.

The South of Scotland Tree Planting Grant Scheme (SoSTPGS) relates to the Dumfries and Galloway region and is limited to a maximum payment of £1,000 per applicant per year. Its aim is to increase the number of woodland trees through tracts of planting less than 0.25 ha, the design of which will “enhance landscape and biodiversity and contribute to improved public amenity”. 

Graeme revealed that Beechgrove Trees and Hedging has had “quite a bit of business with the initiative’s clients”. His knowledge of the area and its growth factors, plus his training as a biologist, have been put to good use advising those who welcome a fair bit of guidance. “In our first year we supplied around 4,000 trees, all of which were hardwoods. The following season we delivered 20,000 trees.” 
 

The flood-bed irrigation system in Beechgrove Trees and Hedging’s poly-tunnel is being extended this season. The intention is eventually to use as much rainwater and field drainage water as possible to supplement the reserves contained in the nursery’s large storage tank. (Image: FJ/SB)

2020 was a good seed year for acorns. Graeme felt that Beechgrove Trees had been accepted by the local agricultural community when one farmer went to the trouble of gathering a batch and offered to sell it to him. 2021 proved a poor seed year and going into 2022 Graeme was obliged to buy in stock.

“So as not to disappoint folk seeking to take advantage of SoSTPGS I drove up to Argyll where I collected suitable trees from Peter McCracken of Taynuilt Trees near Oban,” he said.

As the majority of its trees find use in the Dumfries and Galloway region, Beechgrove Trees and Hedging prefers to use seeds collected in the area, including from its own holding. The 2022 season saw a local collector supply the nursery with a range of good-quality native hardwood seeds that included 60 kg of hazel and 80 kg of pendunculate oak. Graeme’s preference is to sow using a moisture-retaining compost. 

Cell-grown in the poly-tunnel, Beechgrove’s developing tree plants are hand weeded and prevented from flowering. Hardening off takes place before they shut down for winter. Heat can be a problem in summer and although Graeme believes that excessive temperatures probably slow growth down a little, he feels that drying is more of an influence. “You get your eye in to this as time goes on,” he said. “Our poly-tunnel has a flood-bed so we don’t need to be constantly watering.”

As well as catering for the larger planting schemes, Graeme Dalby can supply trees and materials for projects such as the Galloway Glens Landscape Project. Maximum size 0.25 ha – very similar to an irregular corner of land Graeme has planted up himself at Beechgrove. (Image: FJ/SB)

Although Beechgrove Trees and Hedging aims to grow a range of native trees from locally-sourced seed, when wearing his entrepreneur’s hat Graeme’s intention is to satisfy customer expectation in relation to product demand. Euonymus europaeus (spindle) is generally found on chalky soils and is cited as an indicator of ancient woodland. Spindle timber, which is creamy hued, hard and solid, once provided the textile industry with the parts required when processing wool. Centuries on, the spindle tree’s modest size, vibrant autumnal foliage and berries appear to have ensured its place as an increasingly sought-after amenity tree on both sides of the Border.