Amberol at the Commonwealth Games

Maximising an opportunity

An event like the Commonwealth Games represents a great opportunity to showcase a community and we were happy to spot Amberol’s self-watering planters at various locations around the city.

The marathon

Cannon Hill Park was one of the most picturesque spots on the Commonwealth Games marathon route and we spotted these stunning tiered planters creating an impressive centrepiece for the park’s many flower beds planted up in vibrant red, yellow and purple.

Victoria Square

One of the busiest parts of the city offering a place for people to relax and catch a bite to eat between events, Victoria Square was the site for musical performances from around 150 of the region’s musicians. It was also the site of several Amberol self-watering planters which demonstrated how incredible the tiered planters can look in full bloom.

Edgbaston Cricket Ground

Near the iconic sporting location, several Amberol metre squared planters  (see top) and barrier baskets marked the way to the venue along and around Moseley High Street.

Self-watering planters can help showcase your community

Creating colourful floral displays is a great way to make an area attractive to visitors, making it an important way of boosting the local economy. So, how can cities and towns use self-watering planters to help showcase their communities?

• Create a showstopper – larger tiered planters can help create the wow factor. Beehive and fountain planters are particularly good for this purpose, creating amazing cascades of flowers. And because self-watering planters provide optimal conditions for growth, plants really thrive.
• A different level – floral displays don’t just have to be on the ground, they can also create a great visual impact when used at different heights, for example, using barrier baskets along dual carriageways and road railings to brighten up busy thoroughfares.
• Take the train – people often travel to cities via public transport and so railway stations provide a great opportunity to showcase each area – and to make a positive first impression with bright and beautiful floral planters. This is something that many community groups and rail companies have recognised, giving rise to a growing number of station adoption groups who voluntarily take care of their local station, plantings containers, improving access, organising litter picks etc.
• Identify key areas – there will be certain areas where crowds gather: in Birmingham’s case, around sporting venues and hubs like Centenary and Victoria Square. So it makes sense to target areas with high footfall.

Don’t forget to clean up!

It’s also important to ensure that places are kept clean and tidy. No matter how pretty a place may look, if it’s strewn with litter, it will look unattractive and ill cared for. More visitors means an investment in infrastructure – including binfrastructure. So, it’s important to ensure that there are enough litter bins, and crucially that they are placed in the right location: bus stops, near food outlets and train stations for example.

Amberol’s Olympic Dual Bin was developed especially for the 2012 London Olympics, with hundreds of bins offering recycling facilities at key points across Westminster and Waltham Forest which was one of the main Olympic and Paralympic sites and home to the Olympic Park. Investment in recycling facilities was a significant part of the Olympic organisers’ commitment to reducing waste.

Can Amberol help you?

For more information about how Amberol’s self-watering planters or litter bins can help enhance your event or showcase your community, call 01773 830 930 or email sales@amberol.co.uk.