Islington Tribune - by MARK BLUNDEN Published: 17 August 2007
Park rangers Bhupesh Thapa and Dave Bamford help eight-year-old Valetina Parilli tend to her new plant at St Mary’s Church Gardens
Interest shoots up early at plants giveaway event
FREE plants given away by Islington’s park rangers were snapped up in minutes on Monday afternoon.
A number of would-be botanists left empty-handed after the popular event at St Mary’s Church Gardens in Upper Street was swamped with crowds who arrived early.
They made up boxes with plants including rosemary and lemon grass.
Veteran park ranger Derek Keig, who thought up the giveaway, said: “People turned up early and we didn’t have the heart to turn them away. “It was a real success with people coming along and making up their own boxes to take away instead of us doing the work for them. “I think it means much more if they do it themselves.
“Even if they don’t have a garden it means they have something nice to look at and smell.