The construction of the new Polish national stadium started in 2008 and it was completed at the end of 2011, exactly on schedule for the European football championships in 2012. The trees were planted in the spring of 2011: 26 scarlet oaks with stem girth 30-35 and 111 knotted willows in size 40-45. Knotted willows are a characteristic feature of the Dutch landscape, but if you drive along the Vistula, north of Warsaw, you will be able see them along the ditches there too. They are a relic of the Dutch settlers who went to Poland in the 16th century and built polder villages there and provided the architect’s inspiration for the project. The stadium was used for five matches during the European Championships which, in that year, had been organised by Poland an Ukraine. Despite the presence of the familiar knotted willows, the Dutch team’s performance was disappointing as they failed to progress beyond the group stage.