in Bloom - Redditch Borough Council

Horticultural Practice
We have dedicated and skilled horticulturists to
maintain the Town Centre and other key sites in the
Borough. They have specific responsibility of
ensuring that excellent husbandry skills are applied
to those sites.
In 2008 Richard Aldington, the Head Gardener for
the Town Centre, received a commendation in the
RBC Staff Awards for his part in the enhancements of
Church Green.
The Town Centre and other prestige areas have
beds and planters which have summer and winter
bedding schemes. We aim to use low maintenance
and drought tolerant plants such as Geraniums,
Begonias, Ageratum and Cineraria. The planters all
have water reservoirs in them which will help with
lowering the watering maintenance that is required.
All bedding plants are recycled by composting and
returning them to the beds where they provide
nutrients for the new plants.
We have a mixture of high quality floral displays in
designated areas which enhance the herbaceous /
perennial planting.
The use of drought tolerant plants and those
capable of withstanding well drained soil is already
given due consideration as part of our plant
ordering. Nine varieties of the winter and summer
bedding order are tolerant of well drained soils as
were 45 of the 61 species of trees and shrubs.
We actively support traditional vegetative
management techniques such as hedge laying
which not only continues the green landscape and
encourages re-growth and bio-diversity, but also
allows us to address issues such as passive
surveillance without resorting to the removal of
established hedgerows.
In September 2008 the Commemorative Gardens
in Plymouth Road were chosen as one of three
finalists in the Best Municipal Garden Category at
the inaugural Worcestershire Life and Herefordshire
Life Garden Awards. In June and July of 2008 the
readers of the magazines were invited to
recommend their favourite private garden,
municipal garden, wildlife garden and more, a
panel of judges then whittled down the
nominations to three finalists in each category.
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Redditch in Bloom 2O1O