125 trees in front of the Trudo Tower. A different image every season

Planting 125 trees along the facade of a residential tower has not been done before in the Netherlands. Therefore, it was important to prepare everything well in advance and to choose the right tree species. Van den Berk did this in consultation with Du Pré green projects and landscape designer Laura Gatti. The trees must be able to withstand the conditions around the tower, such as migratory winds and other weather influences.

Diversity in leaf color and leaf shape was also considered and a strong assortment of trees was chosen, showing a different, attractive image every season. "The trees have red as a common theme, for example because they are red-leaved or have a red blossom or berry," says Brenda Swinkels, head of sales at Van den Berk. It is a nod to the color of the logo of the city of Eindhoven.

Since then, all the trees have been placed in the bins along the facade with telescopic cranes, but the preparations began three years ago. A test environment was created to see which substrates were most suitable and how best to water them. Swinkels: "The trees were put on air-pots beforehand to grow solid root balls full of hair roots. The trees then no longer receive a shock when they are transplanted. Planting trees in air-pots can also be done year-round. So we were able to take into account the phasing of the building."