Plantscape helps Birmingham BID groups enhance the city

Plantscape has been playing a key role in helping enhance England’s second city – thanks to its work with many of Birmingham’s BID groups.

The company supplied dazzling summer displays across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands areas – with some winning awards in the prestigious annual In Bloom competition.

Acocks Green in the south east of the city was thrilled to win a Gold award, with the area’s BID manager Sandy Gianni telling Plantscape: “We loved the planting this year. You did a great job.”

In neighbouring Solihull, Dickens Heath, which chose Plantscape to handle its displays, won a silver gilt award, with parish council clerk Helen Marczak saying, “This year’s hanging baskets are the best we’ve ever seen.”

Trendy Harborne pioneered Plantscape’s new bee-friendly range of planters, with its BID determined to encourage more pollinators to the village.

BID manager Kate Smart said the 17 seven-day watering barrier baskets containing bee friendly plants created a ‘buzz’ in the area.

“How wonderful to pretty up this urban environment whilst helping the Harborne insects!” she said.

Plantscape sales executive Alan McGregor explained: “Harborne’s board decided they wanted to have a bee and insect friendly theme running through their project and we were asked if we could supply an appropriate range of flowering plants for the barrier baskets. We worked with them to find some plants that would fit their specifications and used a mixture of gaura and verbena plants.”

The success of the Harborne project has encouraged Plantscape to offer the new bee friendly range UK wide in 2020.

Moving into the heart of the city, Southside BID, whose attractions include the National Trust’s Back to Backs, the art deco Electric Cinema and the fabulously transformed New Street station, was delighted with the summer displays Plantscape created.

Indeed, its BID team ordered them after being impressed with the autumn, winter and spring flowering planters they had enjoyed the previous year.

Plantscape installed around a hundred window boxes, barrier baskets, floor standing planters and flower towers to add vibrancy and colour.

Southside BID manager Julia Robinson said: “The blooms help bring the area to life, and the feedback we’ve had in person and on social media has been excellent. They are low maintenance and beautiful, and exactly what we were looking for.”

Elsewhere in the city, Soho Road BID featured in a half hour BBC In Bloom programme which highlighted the area’s visual transformation and improvement in community spirit.

Erdington BID is another of Birmingham’s Plantscape fans, and its fame has spread to the nearby Black Country, where West Bromwich BID has been enjoying its green fingered approach.

If you want to follow in the footsteps of the West Midlands BIDs and councils visit Plantscape, ring 0330 5550121 or email info@plantscapeuk.com.