At last

[jenkinsbrynmair]

well, if you remember a few years ago i was struggling to get my colleagues on the community council to plant pollinator friendly baskets:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=19910&highlight=hanging+baskets

well after a lot of grief and shouting mostly at two particularly stupid and, well plain thick councillors (one who now happens to be leader of the county council!) and trying to convince our nurseryman who takes a lot of pride in his baskets and gives them to the community at near to cost price i finally came to a compromise to have some pollinator friendly plants in each basket. Then at the end of last year I manages to wrest nearly thirty grand out of them wind farm shysters towards an 'environmental scheme' consisting mostly of pollinator planting, especially around the village square. it took time for tenders to be sorted, plans/designs made (I got no help on that one') and the baton handed on when I went to Africa then massive delays as the plants were late from the suppliers, more red tape etc but as i came home from work today - there they were! unloading the lorry. Every plant put in the flower beds and around the memorial (to a local well respected councillor, headmaster and chapel deacon) are pollinator friendly - mostly cotoneasters and lavenders with a smattering of firethorn. Didn't have time to check on the other parts of the project and i forgot to photograph the giant cast iron planter which at the moment has just got annuals in as it was a last moment bid and i haven't selected the final plants yet. So here are some photos - the best ones will be next year when they mature (as long as the local scum leave them alone!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Oh - and the baskets - getting towards the end of their life now, but still looking good

 

[kazmcc]

That's great news! Well done. It would be nice to see something like that here, but I'm afraid it would get destroyed by the scroats. It's going to look lovely once the plants have settled in.

 

[juanito]

well done Jbm,
its a step in the right direction, looking forward to more updates.

 

[REDWOOD]

It's about time councils moved away from those boring Victorian flower beds and planted something different.
Keep it up JBM

 

[Stiffy]

You think the council officers are thick? I have the mis-fortune to have to work with some of the 'Green' wind turbine companies. Even after many years in the business it amazes me that some still think it a great idea to encourage birds and bats around the turbines !! There's one near me that were ordered by the council after the RSPB had so many complaints to take down feeders from the base of a one.
Glad you managed to get some money out of them though
S

 

[Gilberdyke John]

You think the council officers are thick? I have the mis-fortune to have to work with some of the 'Green' wind turbine companies. Even after many years in the business it amazes me that some still think it a great idea to encourage birds and bats around the turbines !! There's one near me that were ordered by the council after the RSPB had so many complaints to take down feeders from the base of a one.
Glad you managed to get some money out of them though
S

Generous of the wind shysters to give SOME of the money levied from our electric bill addition back to the communities who suffer the effects of the intrusion of the turbines.

 

[Swarm]

It's about time councils moved away from those boring Victorian flower beds and planted something different.
Keep it up JBM

You ain't been east for quite a while, eh REDWOOD? Last year and again this year, the Gwent authorities have done a beautiful job of roundabouts and verges. Malpas roundabout and surrounding verges and the same at Caldra, even the verges in Ebbw Vale. Glorious displays containing Sunflowers, Cornflowers, Poppies, Corncockle and more.
They are encouraging residents to plant 'flowers' for Tonteg in bloom next year and are planting even more Daffodils to go with the ones they planted last year. At least they held back on mowing this year but I'm hoping to encourage an environmental approach so our verges can look as stunning as those in Gwent.
They deserve some praise.

 

[alldigging]

Good work! An inspiration!

 

[Hivemaker.]

It's about time councils moved away from those boring Victorian flower beds and planted something different.

I agree, something like cannabis... would make everyone happy, happy, happy.

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Well done Jenks, I know the feeling of banging your head on the wall of we have always done it this way and there isn't enough money to change things and now its all been decided already. Talk about the eternal triangle.
Our council managed to make a failure of an airport, a sports arena, and the Supertram that runs to Meadowhall (known locally as Meadow Hell, for the crowds and lack of fresh air) They also seem to have a large stock of battleship grey paint which they are using up on everything they own. I often wonder if they think it makes the high rise flats blend in to the sky, the British climate being what it is most of the time.
The one thing that is progressive in a good way in Sheffield is the planting in public spaces, we are lucky to have Mr Hitchmaugh and Mr Dunnet of Olympic fame in Sheffield and trialing plants for various situations at the Sheffield Botanic Gardens. The plantings here have made a huge difference to the way the city centre looks and feels. I personally snuck Lavender plants into the plantings at Graves park some years ago. Unfortunately Park maintenance is always hit hard when times are hard.

 

[galileo]

I agree, something like cannabis... would make everyone happy, happy, happy.

There'd be no problem selling the honey, that's for sure!

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

I agree, something like cannabis... would make everyone happy, happy, happy.

I know where you can get some Ricinus Communis.

 

[Tom Bick]

I agree, something like cannabis... would make everyone happy, happy, happy.

Problem with this is the people who grow it the last thing they want is pollination

 

[pargyle]

Well done JBM ... Our local council, at last, seems to be listening and this year they actually let about half of the verges to remain uncut until the wild flowers had finished flowering - pity they couldn't have left it another couple of weeks until the seeds had hardened off and spread but ... it's a step in the right direction. We even have one wild flower roundabout ... not sure whether this is deliberate or the loss of a sponsor for a more formal planting scheme ...

 

[BeeJayBee]

That's going to look fantastic JBM. Well done

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Well done JBM ... Our local council, at last, seems to be listening and this year they actually let about half of the verges to remain uncut until the wild flowers had finished flowering - pity they couldn't have left it another couple of weeks until the seeds had hardened off and spread but ... it's a step in the right direction. We even have one wild flower roundabout ... not sure whether this is deliberate or the loss of a sponsor for a more formal planting scheme ...

Ever thought the neighbours might not be appreciative of Ragwort and Thistles?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ever thought the neighbours might not be appreciative of Ragwort and Thistles?

Plenty of that behind the houses on the old coal tip (now an amenity area) and in the county council owned land surrounding the village square - plus Knotweed. and as of this year Himalayan balsam as well!

 

[Amari]

I agree, something like cannabis... would make everyone happy, happy, happy.

Poppies would be good too - good pollen source