Blooms brighten town for summer displays

Patriotic planting is going up around Kettering for the summer to brighten up the town.

Thousands of bedding plants in red, white and blue colours are being put in to celebrate the anniversary of D-Day and the Olympics.

There are dozens of hanging baskets and more than 30 planters around town, including the historic horse trough on Sheep Street, nine flower beds including Bowling Green Road, outside the library and at the bottom of Northampton Road.

As well as these, the 80 troughs on pedestrian barriers at key junctions around the town, will continue to be planted.

Flowers being planted include surfinia, trailing begonias, fuchsia lobelia, salvia and geraniums and verbena bonariensis.

The silver dichondra and the yellow lysimachia in the baskets and barriers represent the gold and silver medals of the Olympics.

Approximately 12,000 litres of compost are used across the town. Each barrier planter holds 50 litres of water and the newer baskets hold 12 litres of water each, helping to reduce the number of times they need watering.

Kettering Town Council has spent £28,000 to provide the summer planting around the town, with the work carried out by North Northamptonshire Council gardeners.

The decision to carry on the planting was agreed after consultation in November with members of the public.

Clerk to Kettering Town Council, Martin Hammond, said: "The displays in Kettering are a real feature of summer in the town and we are ensuring this service carried on. The town council wants to make the town look as welcoming and inviting as possible and this is a chance to brighten the town and improve everyone's spirits on a daily basis."