A total of 80 trees will be planted in the renewing Blaha Lujza Square, the character of which was previously given mainly by the large paved surfaces, but this will change significantly due to the renovation, BKK wrote in its statement. The works are going according to plan, according to BKK, the space will be transformed into a wooded meeting place. 

Last week, in the first phase of the planting, the specialists started planting 19 trees, but before that, a complete soil change was carried out in the plant cassette to a depth of two meters, and a clay water-retaining layer was placed underneath. This was necessary because in the Blaha Lujza Square there is a solid layer of hoosegow beneath the surface, which was formed during the demolition of the former National Theater and consists of World War II debris. This nutrient-free soil is unsuitable for tree planting, and its water-retaining capacity is not enough to keep the trees alive, BKK wrote.

19 trees were planted in the first phase of the installation (Photo: bkk.hu)

According to the communication, the primary consideration in the selection of new plants was the tolerance of the species and the provision of adequate shade for the users of the space. Experts say it is better to plant young but re-educated trees, as they will soon catch up and outgrow their overgrown peers.

The use of the variety is especially diverse, which is strengthened by the irregularly planted groves. In the first phase, the following tree species are planted in Blaha Lujza Square: six-columned rowan, five yellow-rowan, three ornamental hawthorn, an early maple, a red oak, a silver linden, a single-leaved hawthorn, and a large-leaved linden.

 The Blaha Lujza square will be transformed into a wooded, meeting place (Photo: Both Balázs / pestbuda.hu)

The designer mainly selected varieties that adorned with their flower, foliage, or leaf shape. He focused the more sensitive trees, which also adorned their flowers, inside the square, in a more protected place, while the more resilient ones get along the Grand Boulevard and Rákóczi street. Irrigation of the vegetation will be provided by an automatic irrigation network, they wrote. Together with the existing and new ones, there will be 89 trees in the square, and 1,000 square meters of green space and water games will increase the area’s livability and improve the microclimate.

Source: BKK

Cover photo: There will be a total of eighty-nine trees, including rowan, maple, linden and oak in the renewing Blaha Lujza Square (Photo: Both Balázs / pestbuda.hu)