Cheshire West and Chester is looking fabulously floral this summer thanks to the borough council.
The council’s StreetCare team has been busy preparing the ground at more than 200 flower beds across the borough and the planting of over 112,000 bedding plants is now complete.
The 200 beds cover a total area of around 11,200 square metres, almost the equivalent of three football pitches, which have been transformed into a riot of colour for the summer.
Ellesmere Port Whitby ward councillor Karen Shore (Lab), cabinet member for the environment, said: “I’m so proud of the work our StreetCare team does to bring summer colour across the whole borough.
“I’m sure residents and visitors enjoy the fabulous floral displays across west Cheshire but maybe many don’t really appreciate how much planning and hard work it involves.
“The StreetCare team has a tight timescale to complete the planting from the end of May as timing is critical for a good display.”
During April and May all the winter bedding plants are removed to allow preparation of the beds prior to summer planting. All of the plants removed are taken to local green waste disposal sites where they are processed to create compost.
The seasonal plants used by the team are grown from seed by a local nursery, using peat-free compost and recyclable packaging, in environmentally-friendly glass houses. Particular varieties are chosen to minimise the need for watering in the hot summer months.
The planting phase, working to colour co-ordinated layouts, uses around 30 varieties of plants and takes four to six weeks. The 112,000 bedding plants have been planted across the borough including 3,560 plants for 178 hanging and barrier baskets in 25 different locations.
The council adds its StreetCare Pledge sets out a shared commitment with local residents to maintain clean and attractive streets. If you spot an environmental problem in your area you can use the Your Streets website to report it at www.westcheshireyourstreets.co.uk.
The website aims to make reporting problems easier and provides useful information about the range of services the council provides in communities across the borough.
