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Flower power set to banish summer blues
Holloway Road among centrepieces as borough blooms again
HOLLOWAY Road, normally infamous for its roar of traffic and clouds of pollution, was transformed seemingly overnight this week to what locals described as a floral oasis.
For the second year running, Islington appears to have surpassed itself, and won plaudits from traders and residents, with colourful, eye-catching arrangements of hanging baskets stretching from Archway down to Angel.
This year the scheme has included 11 speciality tower floral displays outside the town hall and municipal offices in Upper Street.
At Whittington Park locals enjoyed newly emerging wild flowers on the former semi-derelict grass bank.
For the first time the hanging basket scheme extends from Upper Street, Seven Sisters Road (up to Finsbury Park), Caledonian Road, Blackstock Road, Highbury Barn, Exmouth Market, Camden Passage and Goswell Road.
The council will be submitting the displays to the London in Bloom competition on September 20, being hosted at the Emirates stadium.
Lib Dem Executive Member for the Environment, Councillor Lucy Watt, standing at the new floral baskets in Holloway, said everyone was delighted with the scheme.
“Maybe it’s all the rain we’ve been getting, but the flowers look really colourful this year,” she said.
“Based on the wonderful compliments we received from residents and traders last year, we decided to extend the scheme. Islington has a reputation for a rather lacklustre concrete environment and we have the smallest amount of public green space after the City of London.
“At least with hanging baskets and our floral displays we can brighten up the borough, even if it is only for the summer months.”
Solicitor Dan Arden, who has an office close to the Nag’s Head, said the displays had really cheered him up.
“We’ve had such a miserable summer,” he added. “And Holloway Road is so noisy and full of fumes.
“Even some of my clients commented favourably about the displays.”
Some 270 lamppost baskets – twice as many as last year – were put up this year, plus 240 barrier baskets (compared to 90 last year) and, for the first time, 11 floral towers.
The hanging and barrier baskets were supplied by Plantscape Ltd in Derbyshire. The council’s Greenspace team helps maintain them.
All baskets have an integral water reservoir. Watering takes place during the night, with visits twice every seven days. |
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