High street hanging baskets this year?

[Big Tone]

I've lived and worked in East Dulwich for years now and noticed that over the years Lordship Lane's street hanging baskets have gradually gone from rubbish to crap and then finally last year none!! I know there's worse things going on in the world but you'd think as it costs so much to live hear now a days and all the high street shops and bars charge a fortune the council would splash out on a few flowers here and there. Even Peckham and Nunhead have them and if you ever travel to Crystal Palace and even Penge they're everywhere. Weren't they supposed to be doing something with Goose Green Park and be planting a tree or some awful piece of art on the roundabout last year!!! An xmas tree would be nice so every year lights could be put on them like around the Village and West Dulwich. I'm new to this so sorry for going on to long.

[Ted Max]

Big Tone - hanging baskets and colourful flowers are all very well for Penge and Nunhead, but Lordship Lane is all about clean lines, architectural planting, and Christopher Bradley-Hole.

I agree about the Christmas tree though. Although don't lights get strung into some of the existing tress on Goose Green, or is that my memory playing tricks?

[macroban]

A hanging basket on Goose Green roundabout would be fine.

[*Bob*]

The Big Question.. who goes in the gibbet?

Foxton's staff on rotation?

[Nero]

Hanging baskets would be nice, but I don't want municipal pansies. How about hanging baskets with local plants and flowers, rather than the gaudy stuff we usually get. Cleaner, Greener Southwark might help out here? If not, then there is a section of the council that does this, so why not ring and ask, Big Tone. I look forward to hearing more about it. Nero

[????]

'ealth and safety innit, attracting ladybird swarms, encouraging hayfever, falling on passerby's heads, collecting finished cigar butts...it's a can of worms

[Big Tone]

Thanks Nero, I'll give the council a call. Haven't seemed to have got much of a response. Maybe its only me who's noticed it. Last year it was my big pet hate and really annoyed me.(sad eh) ???? I totally agree with you, but a lot of other high streets throughout the UK don't seem have a problem. Lordship Lane is always changing and especially during the summer months (days) it would make all the difference. I don't want pansies either but as Ted Max said something more interesting would be good. Here's a crazy idea I've always had. Certain shops sponsoring their own individual hanging baskets.?

[Big Tone]

God... just realizsed how sad I sound.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

If I post anything on municipal pansies after the forum drinks, just ignore me please.

[*Bob*]

'Big Tone' and 'hanging baskets' doesn't quite seem right somehow.

[Big Tone]

yeh...yeh... I realise that now. Might change my name by depoll!!!

[BARA]

I too wondered why LL was bare of flowers, when Peckham and Camberwell have got plenty. I did hear that the council wanted to have floral displays but various shops/businesses objected to assisting with watering the lower level displays in warm weather.

I am all for the various shops putting up their own displays - perhaps representing their own names - Foxtons could have

Foxgloves. The Coriander could have a nice display of herbs. Moxtons - ? William Rose - a couple of standard roses in containers by the shop door.

What flowers could represent the LL shops? Foxtons could have stinging nettles ( after all the are stinging their customers for money)

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Sweet Williams outside William Hill.

[Loz]

Le Chardon can just let the weeds grow...

[Sue]

I think it would be great to have lots more flowers around.

There was a vote (last year?) for what should go on the roundabout, and I think the outcome was that it would be a tree, though I did point out that it would be preferable to have something which didn't restrict vision across the roads .....

And that public art is often crap (I didn't use that word, naturally).

Hanging baskets in Lordship Lane would be great. But yes, they do take a lot of watering so I can understand why some shops might not want to be bothered.

I have a feeling one year the hanging baskets in North Cross Road were stolen in the night - cut down.

And the year before last my windowboxes were all stolen (just before Mother's Day. The police said the thieves had taken a van around the area). They're chained to the sill now. Er, different ones, obviously :)

[PeckhamRose]

For those of you who really want to try and get hanging baskets at locations, the Southwark council Cleaner Greener Safer awards are currently up for grabs. Ask for a form from the website and, as they say, follow the links to Cleaner Green SAfer awards. I can't be arsed to do it for you, because here in Nunhead and Peckham Rye traffic light junctions there are loads of baskets and also flower/plant troughs along the railings! Luverly jubberly.