‘Say it with flowers – and Amberol,’ says Norwich City Council

The city of Norwich is the capital of the rural East Anglian region and the city council manages services for over 141,000 residents living in the area. Norwich itself retains an historic character: it is the site of many mediaeval buildings and the impressive Norman cathedral as well as the remains of an ancient city wall. There are also 523 hectares of parks and open spaces – around 1/8 of the city’s area. Many residents and tourists regularly visit the well maintained parks and gardens, including the Victorian Plantation Garden, the Castle Gardens which are the site of outdoor theatre and cinema in the summer months and the Chapelfield Gardens - in addition to the numerous smaller parks and communal spaces.

A long term partnership

Terry Bane works in the council’s Neighbourhood Services department on a part time basis as a contract officer helping to manage grounds maintenance, street cleansing and waste management contracts. He is also the Horticultural and Funding Officer for Norwich City Council. Both Terry and the council have a long history of working with Amberol, having used the company’s products since it was first set up over 40 years ago. “We were one of the first authorities to use Amberol’s ‘Up the Pole’ baskets,” comments Terry. Since this time, the authority has continued to use Amberol products to create their highly successful floral displays around the city.

As a city popular with tourists, maintaining attractive communal areas through the use of horticulture and floral displays is important for the local authority. Norwich has had great success in the Britain in Bloom competitions, winning the urban regeneration category in 2008. LivCom Norwich was awarded a gold and category winner in 2010 in the International Award for Liveable Communities. The city was also awarded the maximum 5 Bloom award and Best Youth Award at the International Communities in Bloom finals in 2009.

Bringing colour to the city

Terry believes that using Amberol products has helped to play a part in the authority’s Britain in Bloom success and their containers and planters are used to good effect all around the city.

“We always show Amberol containers to the judges,” he explains. “We use Amberol barrier baskets on railings at traffic junctions and hanging baskets on stands along Castle Meadow, as well as floral fountains at Norwich train station. All these Amberol products enable us to grow colourful bedding plants in areas where they will be seen by many, including residents, commuters and visitors.”

A sense of civic pride

Attractive communal landscaping is an important part of maintaining a sense of civic pride, particularly in urban areas and helps to bring visitors and workers to the area. As Terry explains, “Floral displays make a real difference to the city. My phrase is, say it with flowers – it is a tangible way of saying that we care about our environment and the people who live here. I also believe that flowers, parks and open spaces attract visitors to Norwich. Everybody appreciates flowers and colour, especially on a dark cloudy day during the winter. In economic terms, many organisations use floral displays as a way of promoting their business, adopting sponsorship displays near to their premises that help fund and sustain the displays.”

Three words that Norwich City Council use to describe Amberol products:

1. Robust
2. Reliable
3. Durable

Terry also highly values the self watering facility that many of Amberol’s products have as an important way of helping the council to save both time and money, making the communal displays easier to maintain. “The self watering containers help us save significant amounts of water and time in terms of repeat visits. They come in different colours and are robust enough to last for many years,” he comments.

With their long partnership, Terry feels confident recommending Amberol to others, both in terms of the quality of their products, and also because of the high levels of customer service. “I have recommended Amberol to many people because the products have been so successful here in Norwich. Staff at the company have always been very friendly and helpful whenever we have dealt with them.”

To find out more about how Amberol’s products can help you, call 01773 830 930 or email info@amberol.co.uk