Parks and Gardens News March 2007

Plant of the month has to be the daffodil.  The early warm weather has meant that many have bloomed up to a month earlier than usual.

 

All daffodil and narcissus varieties belong to the genus narcissus which originates from a variety of habitats around Europe and N Africa.  Ancient Egyptians and the Romans may have grown them in their gardens.  In Britain evidence suggests they were used in gardens by the thirteenth century.

 

Daffodils tolerate a wide range of conditions.  For good spring displays bulbs should be bought and planted during mid-autumn the year before.  They can be planted in borders, containers, under trees or as attractive drifts in lawn areas.

On Wednesday 21st March several teams of enthusiastic school children came along to the Town Hall.  They were there to find out who would have their design planted on the seafront during June.

 

All of the schools produced a design based on the theme of 'Environment in Bloom' and after much consideration the winner was declared to be Hankham Primary School.  Their design had even been made into a special cake as pictured here.

 

The judges praised the hard work and high quality of all of the work displayed.  All of the schools received a certificate from the Mayor, Councillor Colin Belsey, and Hankham Primary School will later be invited to help plant the design.

 

The competition is run by the Eastbourne Education Business Partnership in liaison with Eastbourne Borough Council.  Generous local sponsors of the event this year are The Weather Shop, Firebrand, Gardening Matters and Glendale Grounds Maintenance.

Local volunteers and Parks contractors got together on 22nd March to give the annual spring clean to Crumbles Pond.

 

Helpers came from the Eastbourne and District Model Yacht Club, the Model Powerboat Club, The Friends of Princes Park and Glendale Grounds Maintenance.  The lake level was lowered to allow safe wading in the water and many items were retrieved.  These included three bicycles and a number of masonry blocks along with general clutter.  Anything of any use was put aside for recycling.

 

Thanks go to everyone involved.

On Tuesday 27th March the Mayor, Councillor Colin Belsey met David George and Peter Gatward to thank them for their involvement in Barwells Solicitors new sponsorship agreement at Sovereign Roundabout.

 

Barwells were established in the Eastbourne area just over 100 years ago.  They chose Sovereign Roundabout as an ideal location to sponsor and thus put something back into the community.  Their sponsorship of this attractively landscaped site will ensure that enhanced maintenance and other works can continue into the future.

 

All of the current environmental sponsorship is arranged by Eastbourne Borough Council Parks and Gardens in liaison with specialist agents Keegan Ford Sponsorship.