ALTON Town Council's ground staff were left to pick up the pieces on Monday following an act of mindless vandalism which saw plants uprooted from the raised shrubbery beds in Lady Place car park and left to shrivel in the sun. With the Southern England in Bloom judges about to descend upon the town on Wednesday, the damage, worth hundreds of pounds, was a particularly cruel blow. News of the vandalism came as East Hampshire District Council was giving a pat on the back to local residents whose recycling efforts have been instrumental in helping to provide a good soil base for the shrubbery beds. English Landscapes, a company which carries out planting and grounds maintenance work for EHDC, has just completed planting out more than 100 shrubs, amongst them Berberis Red, Worcester Gold, Lavender Blue, and Pink Hydrangeas. The soil in the flower beds has been refreshed and revitalised using more than 10 tons of top soil, plus a huge 4.5 tonnes of Pro-Grow organic soil conditioner. Pro-Grow is made from the garden waste which is collected from the kerbside in East Hampshire, along with the green waste taken to Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) by residents. Brian Turner, streetcare manager for EHDC, said: "It is great that residents who recycle their garden waste are able to enjoy the results, and see these improvements to their local environment." Disappointed by the vandalism, deputy town clerk Greg Burt said that ATC ground staff would be endeavouring to save some of the uprooted plants, to make the area look attractive for the In Bloom judging However there would be some plants that would not survive. l Residents in East Hampshire can purchase Pro-Grow from many HWRCs or by buying online at http://www.pro-grow.co.uk">www.pro-grow.co.uk at only £4.49 for a 60 litre bag with free delivery. Recycling garden waste has played a major part in the residents of East Hampshire achieving an impressive 32 per cent recycling rate to take seventh place in the UK's recycling stakes. The next recycling target for East Hampshire to reach has been set at 40 per cent.
