We’ve finally got the key planting done for the Preston Circus planters, and they look great!  We were eight down at the Circus this afternoon, observed by the opera goers heading to the Duke of York’s for the relay from New York. The only thing lacking was a red carpet, champagne and canapes to toast the planters (us and them).

The raindrops caught in the leaves of the alchemilla mollis, the red stems of the cornus alba sibirica glowed against the lime green leaves, the sunlight caught on the yellow and lime grasses of the prairie planter and the blues of the coastal planter are already eye-catching even without the centrepiece we have planned, an architectural agave. Click here for the PCP planting list.

The rain held off until we’d got the plants in … and then it came down in large drops just as we were hefting containers of water down to Preston Circus to water the plants in. The basic structure of our four themed beds is now in place. With the key perennials planted, we can fill in with annuals as we get an idea of how the containers develop. The next stage is to get a water butt installed, probably at the Calvary Church, and to canvass further support from local people and businesses to help us maintain the planters.