100,000 Reasons why the Borough is Looking So Good
PR 204
22 June 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The borough of Great Yarmouth has been donning its summer face as gardeners have been planting out 100,000 bedding plants to ensure residents and visitors are spoilt for colourful blooms.
GYB Services, who keep the parks and gardens in tip-top order for Great Yarmouth Borough Council, undertook the mammoth task in just 15 days.
“People think we draft in extra help to prepare the beds and put in the bedding plants, but that isn’t the case,” said Operations Manager Bob Allen.
“Our team of 14 gardeners with the responsibility for bedding-out, have all their usual jobs to undertake, such as ensuring the bowling greens are ready for play, emptying rubbish bins and picking up litter in the park before they can even begin to plant out.”
For anyone who has planted up a bed or two over the last few weeks, the borough’s gardeners had St George’s Park, Priory Gardens, the seafronts at Gorleston and Great Yarmouth and the Crematorium, as well as two roundabouts (at the bottom of Acle Road, and White Horse, Harfreys) on their list.
Work mainly begins after the last May Bank Holiday,” explained Bob. “We have all the spring bedding to remove and the beds to dig over. Then they are watered the day before the plants are put in.
“The plants are also watered in their pots before they leave the depot as going into the ground with a wet root-ball gives them more chance of surviving.
“The planting schemes were all designed during the winter by my colleague Peter Holland.
“Displays contain geraniums, marigolds, petunias, salvias and nicotiana - with spot planting of taller plants such as cordylines, lobelia and new for this year millet.
“We average 7,500 plants a day – which then have to be watered each evening for the first few days, depending on the weather, to help them become established.”
And then for many of the workforce it is back to the parks and crematorium to pick up that days rubbish (yes that’s twice a day)!
“We work really hard to keep the parks looking good, and we are pleased that the public enjoy them,” concluded Bob.
“But it would make out life much easier if people treated them with some respect and didn’t drop so much rubbish – please!”
For further information call Operations Manager Bob Allen on 01493 846496, or Assistant Operations Manager Peter Holland on 01493 846103.Picture captions: A bed outside the old general hospital in the town is already looking in the pink.
Issued by:
Liz Dann
Press Officer
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
01493 846513