Mighty oaks from little acorns grow
This year has been a year of challenges and changes for everyone. We really felt for all our couples who needed to postpone their weddings because of the pandemic, and we wanted to do something positive and meaningful for them.
We decided to pot an acorn for every couple whose wedding had to be postponed or changed, a small gesture, but one which we thought would bring new shoots of hope. Perhaps each tree will be a symbol of how we can move on, grow and adapt to these different times, in the way nature always does.
As spring arrives in 2021, the acorns will have started to sprout, and in two years’ time the young trees will be ready to take root in the ground. When our couples return to Boconnoc to celebrate in 2021, they will be given their own potted acorn, which they can plant and enjoy for themselves.
Boconnoc is home to so many majestic trees, which have been planted, often with meaning – throughout Boconnoc’s history. Whether you are leaving the church, enjoying a wedding reception or looking out of the window of your bedroom, there is nearly always a tree in view with a story behind it. When the couples plant their own saplings, either here or elsewhere, it will be a chance to create a view, and start a story, for others to enjoy in years to come.
We had a wonderful day ruffling through Boconnoc’s autumn leaves, looking for ripe, plump, nutty brown acorns and then carefully potting them into their own containers before nestling them into a sheltered spot in the kitchen garden – ready to work their magic and germinate over winter.
Planting acorns ensures that more oak trees (and of course more acorns) can grow, which is essential for many reasons, including to support wildlife in future years. Mice, squirrels, badgers and jays are all searching for acorns in the autumn months – and most acorns get munched up before they have a chance to germinate.
During this second lockdown, we feel it is more important than ever to focus on finding joy in the simplest of nature’s pleasures. Whether that is planting an acorn for yourself, a daily walk, a bowl of homemade soup, or simply watching the seasons change.
After all, mighty oaks from little acorns grow.
How to plant your own acorns this winter:
Ideally, acorns should be collected and planted from mid-September through to the end of December.
1 Try to choose large, fat, ripe looking acorns, which are a warm brown in colour. Avoid the unripe green ones, or the really dark ones, which may have started to rot a little.
2 Loosely fill the pot with compost leaving around a 2.5cm (1in) gap between the compost and the top of the pot. (a yoghurt pot with small drainage holes in the bottom can be used)
3 Plant up to 4 acorns in each pot. Gently cover the acorns with compost
4 Water the pot and place it outside, you may need to protect the acorns from animals and birds.
5 Leave your acorns over the winter to germinate.
6 The seedlings can be kept in this pot until the roots begin to emerge out of the drainage holes, when it can be potted on to a slightly larger pot. Tall pots are better than squat ones, to allow the roots to elongate. Repeat this as often as necessary.
7 The saplings may be kept in pots for two or three years, but if you find that it becomes too much to keep putting them in bigger pots, you can plant them in the ground when they are 12 to 15 inches high. Common oaks are suited to most conditions except marshy, very light or chalky soils.
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Interested in getting married at Boconnoc? Click here for more information about our weddings offering, and feel free to contact the team with any questions you may have.
