Cities and towns
across the UK can follow in the footsteps of some of the finest ancient walled
towns in Britain - by filling their streets with floral displays this summer,
suggests Plantscape.
York became the fourth
such city to adopt the Plantscape approach to floral glory this summer when its
Business Improvement District group commissioned 140 planters, flower towers
and hanging baskets across the city centre.
The pots, the first coordinated floral scheme the city
has had in a decade, were planted with trailing begonias, petunia, surfinias
and geraniums in pinks, purple, yellows and reds.
York BID operations manager at the time, Elliot
Sawyer, said: "We wanted to fill the city with colour during the summer
months. The planters have attracted a lot of positive comments from businesses,
residents and visitors."
Plantscape's maintenance teams watered the planters
just once a week thanks to a built-in deep reservoir seven-day hydration system
which kept the plants healthy and happy - even during the heatwave.
Chester,
whose famous Rows make it another popular tourist destination, found the
planters were so impactful in 2017 that its BID team decided to ask the plant
experts back for a second time last summer.
Plantscape
manufactured and installed tailor made window boxes on its Grade 1 listed
medieval buildings and distinctive covered walkways using bespoke brackets
which met strict conservation criteria while being able to withstand the
pressure of heavy planters.
The city's famous Rows
- the only streets of their kind in the UK with first floor ‘pavements' leading
to shops and businesses - are a big draw for visitors to the former Roman
settlement.
The military style
process saw the Plantscape team quietly install 86 window boxes overnight to
avoid obstructing traffic in the city centre - with the added bonus of enabling
locals to be greeted by the sight of thousands of blooms when they awoke.
Two
other walled cities also choose Plantscape every year to create their
arrangements - Beaumaris and Worcester.
