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Steve Long tends to his flowers with Andrew Bedford outside Islington town hall |
Mr Long, the florist who drives 200 miles to
work every day
Flower expert travels from Derbyshire to maintain impressive displays
AT 1am every morning Steve Long drives nearly 200 miles from his home in Matlock, Derbyshire, to care for Islington’s acclaimed hanging baskets.
Floral supremo Steve, 33, has been chosen to care for the 500 floral baskets and 11 tower displays.
Steve, who works for Derbyshire firm Plantscape Ltd, insists he prefers the three-hour daily drive, rather than staying over in the borough.
“I’ve had a few bad experiences at the hands of local yobs when I have lived in Archway during the week,” he said.
“It was nothing serious, but it put me off. Besides, I like to see my partner, albeit if it’s only for a few hours, before I get my head down.”
Steve arrives in Islington just after 3am.
He said: “I bring my sandwiches with me to eat before I start my day’s work.
“Then I check on the baskets and floral towers.”
His working day finishes at about noon and he arrives back in Matlock at around 3pm.
Steve said: “I usually have time for a bite at home before I have to get my head down again.”
He had a lot of trouble maintaining the baskets during the recent heavy rain.
“Rain is not always very kind to plants,” he added.
“It tends to batter them a bit.
“It also washes all the goodness out of them – so you have to try and get some feed back into the compost and replace those plants that are damaged.”
Islington’s Ecology and Ranger manager Andrew Bedford said: “We’re getting lots of positive comments with our baskets.
“Everyone says it helps cheer up the borough.”
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. |
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Your Comments:
FAIR play to Mr Long for his efforts and fantastic results, though there seems to be a certain irony in his driving up and down the motorway 1000 miles per week to improve Islington's ecology.
B. Pashley
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