a tiny forest in Witney

In the frantic scramble to complete some last few local projects before lock-down, Witney become the lucky recipient of the UK's first Tiny Forest.

The Tiny Forest concept (formerly known as the Miyawaki Forest) is a charmer, and popular worldwide. The organisation that helped with Witney's tiny forest is Dutch (some lovely photos through that link) and this explainer video is from India:

The trees very from country to county, but the principle remains the same: condition and prepare your soil, plant it up densely with trees to these ratios: 50% the five best growing trees in your area, 25-40% other common trees in your area and 25-10% minor native species (exact ratios can be adjusted for needs like non-toxicity or attractiveness to certain animal or insect species). Water, weed, mulch and maintain for the first two years and then you have a forest you can leave. Here's a pretty solid how-to in case you have space and want to make your own. 

You need a minimum of 3-4 msq, but let's face it, it's a better use of your space than a back-garden pool or tennis court.