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Where are our hanging baskets?
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Yasmine


Posts: 17
Joined: Jun 2010
Post: #1
18-06-2010 09:59 PM

HANGING BASKETS this year ? I haven t seen any of the beautiful geranium displays on our town centre lamp posts yet whilst all surrounding areas have them already. Anybody with some inside knowledge?

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FHSoc


Posts: 134
Joined: Nov 2009
Post: #2
19-06-2010 10:49 AM

While the hanging baskets may have failed to materialise, we would like to thank LOROL for allowing Shannons Garden Centre to plant up the planters outside the station.


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Yasmine


Posts: 17
Joined: Jun 2010
Post: #3
19-06-2010 04:20 PM

True,they are pretty. Still,I don 't understand why hanging baskets full of geraniums and petunias in bloom are to be found all over the borough but not a signle one to be seen in Forest Hill.

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Merlin


Posts: 83
Joined: May 2010
Post: #4
21-06-2010 09:49 PM

Lovely planters! I don't have a garden of my own but I can't praise Shannon's enough. I purchased a few bits for a friend who was terminally ill (she was in a hospice in Derby) one of the items was a solar powered hanging globe which changed colours - much nicer than I'm making it sound! it didn't work and I went to Shannons to purchase another one, I asked if I could return the original after getting back from Derby and was given the second one without payment or question. It was such a lovely thing for them to do and I was really touched by their kindness and trust.
So, if anyone has a garden and hasn't been to Shannons I strongly urge you to try it - lovely people, good choice.Thumbsup

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #5
22-06-2010 11:32 AM

There are probably no hanging baskets, because there is no budget for them. No money, no baskets!

If there are baskets elsewhere, it is because someone is paying for them, e.g. out of the locality fund, but I don't think Lewisham pays for them centrally as a matter of course anymore.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #6
22-06-2010 11:42 AM

In 2007/2008 Forest Hill localities fund was spent on hangin baskets (see here). It was not included in 2008/2009 or 2009/2010.

But what happens after a town centre pays for hanging baskets? Do they only rent the baskets and have to buy new flowers each year? Surely if there were hanging baskets in previous years they should still be there and I am sure somebody (i.e. Horniman Gardens) would be willing to replant them. Are the baskets sitting in a depot somewhere or have they been taken by another ward?

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IWereAbsolutelyFuming


Posts: 531
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #7
22-06-2010 12:57 PM

I'm pretty sure they were 'planted' with fake plants - the ones at the station were anyway:

old thread

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #8
22-06-2010 04:27 PM

I once bought hanging baskets for New Cross Gate (don't all gasp at once!) and the actual hardware cost is minuscule and the planting only a little more. The major cost is getting them watered regularly (without which they would die very quickly!

I was also a bit surprised to hear that green folks are actually against hanging baskets as they are not "sustainable" i.e they are very high maintenance, use a lot of water and, in the past, but maybe not now, used peat compost. The current preferred method for civic planting, I now understand, is troughs.

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Merlin


Posts: 83
Joined: May 2010
Post: #9
22-06-2010 07:36 PM

Loving the plastic flowers/baskets at HOP station - if you dont get too close!

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Yasmine


Posts: 17
Joined: Jun 2010
Post: #10
22-06-2010 08:24 PM

Thank you Shzl400 and Michael. I am very sure we had hanging baskets last summer. Was this not considered 2008/2009 ? The year before they were planted very thinly and looked quite miserable but last summer they looked perfect. Exactly like the ones just saw a few days ago, round the corner from Stansted Road towards Crofton Park and Honor Oak.

Could the town centre manager be involved in trying to understand how other small town centre within Lewisham organise their street furnishing ?

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #11
22-06-2010 08:49 PM

Apparently Sydenham have their hanging baskets (paid for out of central funding from Lewisham). I think we have been forgotten again.

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Yasmine


Posts: 17
Joined: Jun 2010
Post: #12
22-06-2010 08:58 PM

One could assume the same happens then in Honor Oak, Crofton Park, Ladywell, etc...gosh, Forest Hill is always at the bottom of the Council priority list if it were not for the residents groups.

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James123


Posts: 11
Joined: Jan 2009
Post: #13
22-06-2010 10:16 PM

I hope they arrive, I really do. It's little things like this that make a big difference to the feel of the centre and Lewisham seem to overlooked Forest Hill again.

I have a real gripe that Forest Hill has the Horniman Museum (basically self funded) which is a real draw for the area, and Lewisham Council don't seem to do help the area to benefit from this.

The council needs to tidy up the centre and help encourage new businesses for this reason alone. The amount of people that come to the Horniman and leave thinking "good museum but no reason to stick around in Forest Hill (and spend our money)" must be a significant number.

To Lewisham council representatives- helping the town centre to be prosperous brings money into the area and is good for everyone here. Encourage more businesses, make the walk to the Horniman as attractive and as possible, light up the mural below the Hob (as you promised but haven't delivered), and deliver the hanging baskets!!

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Jane2


Posts: 221
Joined: Jan 2007
Post: #14
17-07-2010 08:16 PM

I doubt that with all the budget saving the Council are having to find, that hanging baskets are going to be high on the priority lists for the next few years....

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NewForester


Posts: 379
Joined: Feb 2008
Post: #15
20-07-2010 09:00 AM

It appears that people have not noticed the hanging baskets which have appeared along Dartmouth and St David's Roads...

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sharon


Posts: 47
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #16
20-07-2010 11:16 AM

no hanging baskets for london road , or red route ,i emailed lewisham they reply by letter ,because london road is mananged by t.f.l no hanging baskrts allowed what a shame !:

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #17
20-07-2010 12:37 PM

TfL didn't stop them in previous years:
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hn...26,,0,5.09

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hn...1,,0,-0.84

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hn...51,,2,1.45

Has anybody noticed if they have hanging baskets on other Red Routes (Catford town centre, Downham, Lewisham hospital). I would suggest that this excuse does not match the reality of the situation.

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sharon


Posts: 47
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #18
21-07-2010 11:43 AM

ive found the letter t.f.l. have introduced new (permitting arrangements)and lewisham would incur additional costs to install hanging baskets along the road ,i wonder if catford has any on its red route !

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