Amberol helps Shrewsbury become the town of flowers
The attractive mediaeval town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire is home to around 100,000 people. Located near the Welsh Borders and surrounded by beautiful countryside, the town is also popular with tourists, drawn by a range of attractions which include a castle, historic buildings and Shrewsbury’s reputation as a ‘town of flowers’.
Shrewsbury in Bloom is a non-profit organisation of interested groups and individuals who work together to enhance the town as well as co-ordinating the annual entry into the RHS Britain in Bloom competition. The town has a great record in the competition, repeatedly winning Gold for floral excellence in the Heart of England in Bloom contest as well as receiving the prestigious national Champion of Champions award in 2014.
Collaboration in action
The town’s Britain in Bloom entry is a true collaboration between the local authority and the In Bloom committee. The council's ground maintenance team carry out horticultural work, with activity funded by the committee, the town council and also through business sponsorship. For example, 300 hanging baskets are planted up around the centre supported by local businesses, whilst around 26 different sponsors contribute to the In Bloom effort through a scheme which offers four different levels of sponsorship.
As part of Shrewsbury’s extensive floral enhancement, over 300,000 seasonal plants are grown each year at the council’s Weeping Cross Centre, with 140 barrier troughs and 160 floral poles planted up around the town. The council also manages over 400 acres of public open space.
Going for Gold in Britain in Bloom
Amberol products form an important part of Shrewsbury in Bloom’s competition entry and are used extensively across the town centre to help create their award-winning floral displays.
The council first heard of Amberol’s self-watering containers when they were approached by one of Amberol’s sales representatives. They were impressed by the variety of planters on offer and were attracted by the self-watering concept which reduces labour as well as conserving water.
“There’s no doubt that Amberol’s self-watering feature saves both time and money for our maintenance staff and volunteers - and of course it is better for the plants, ultimately making for a better display,” comments Gary Farmer, Operations Manager at Shrewsbury Town Council.
Amberol products and floral displays regularly feature in Shrewsbury’s Britain in Bloom portfolio and are also included in the presentation to judges with specific mention made of the water reserves and the benefits this brings. This helps to fulfil some of the criteria within the Environmental Responsibility section of the competition, which accounts for 25% of the total marks.
A community effort
Britain in Bloom is all about improving the environment and as in many towns, the people of Shrewsbury value the contribution that good floral displays make to the community as a whole. For many, the competition is about far more than simply making a place look pretty. The In Bloom work is an important part of developing community and business partnerships as well as enhancing public spaces. As Gary explains “Shrewsbury is known as a town of flowers, our award-winning displays enhance visitor experience, boost the tourism and retail sectors and complement the architecture of the town. They make an important economic contribution to our community – as well as making it a beautiful place to live and work.
“Shrewsbury Town Council receives a high volume of positive feedback regarding the town’s displays,” Gary adds. “People have been especially impressed with the consistency in display standard, especially during the last few years of austerity. This is partly down to Amberol products which save people time, money and resources.”
Three words that Shrewsbury in Bloom use to describe Amberol’s products:
1.Reliable
2.Economical
3.Environmentally-friendly
As a well-established, family run company, Amberol pride themselves on developing good relationships with their customers and on providing high levels of customer service. For example, as a result of feedback from Shrewsbury, the company has developed a new, larger container modelled on traditional brandy barrels known as hogsheads. So, it comes as no surprise that Gary describes Amberol staff as “very helpful and reliable”, offering a positive experience for customers.
“I would be more than happy recommending Amberol and its products to other organisations,” comments Gary. “In Shrewsbury we particularly like the multifunctional nature of their units which cover all floral aspects and help us to achieve our goal of becoming the town of flowers.”
