The final two weeks of May have seen the gardeners working hard to prepare for the main summer season. At the Carpet Gardens, and other bedded areas, the spring bedding has been removed and replaced with summer varieties.
Badge beds have still to be planted and will include a special feature at the west end of the Carpet Gardens. Work should be completed by about mid-June.
Floral Pyramids
Large displays of bright red Geraniums have arrived to add colour and enjoyment for visitors to the town centre. As the weather warms up more and more flowers will appear on their leafy background. These new additions will remain in place until October.
With another hot dry summer being predicted the towers will be easier to maintain than hanging baskets which dry out very quickly on hot days. The flower towers only require watering once a week in the large basal container. Hanging baskets normally require three visits each week.
Plant of the Month
Many older walls around Eastbourne are home to various native and introduced plants. One of the prettiest at this time of year is the Adria Bellflower. Know under the scientific name of Campanula portenschlagiana it was originally imported for use as a garden plant from the former Jugoslavia.
Old and weathered walls often have plant populations that grow mainly along the mortar joints where the conditions mimic the lime-rich, rocky conditions of their natural habitats. Generally non-woody plants cause little or no damage to the fabric of the wall and can be left where they are not causing a nuisance.
ROK Restores Borough Crest
Local contractors, ROK, have carefully restored one of the Town's original crests that embellish the bases of the large lamp posts at the Carpet Gardens. The heraldry is a Victorian contrivance that combines elements of the arms of the Dukes of Devonshire and the Davies-Gilbert Family, both important landowners in Eastbourne.
The motto 'Meloria Sequimur' roughly translates as 'Let us follow better things' The crest is used on the Mayor's correspondence and at civic functions. Approval is sometimes also given for local companies or sports organisations to use the crest.
