Bright and cheery violas, pansies and poppies are coming into full bloom in central Horsham thanks to some well-planned plantings with seasonal varieties by Horsham Rural City Council's parks and gardens team.
Streetscapes and Botanic Team Leader Ryan Johnstone said his crew has been working as hard as ever this year to keep public gardens looking their best.
"Regardless of the cancellation of events such as the Spring Garden Festival, we know people appreciate seeing lots of colour at this time of the year," Mr Johnstone said.
"Our team is very committed to ensuring the gardens always look their best, and try to mix things up by planting a diversity of plants and flowers for the gardens."
Mr Johnstone said the annual beds will be at their peak display by the end of September and into October.
"The main varieties of annuals to be seen this spring are 'matilda' poppies and violas within the Botanic Gardens, along with primula obconica, stock and a range of pansies throughout both the gardens and the main streets," he said.
"Our main focus right now from a maintenance perspective is weed control and maximising the growth of the plants to produce more flowers.
"They have been planted to catch the eye and draw attention to the beds."
This year a wider range of smaller growing pansies have been chosen to fill the beds with more colour.
"Last year all of the beds were planted out to a single colour or variety. This year we have chosen multiple colours of a single variety to create interest in different beds," Mr Johnstone said.
"Recent plantings are progressing well with all plants now growing to a consistent height."
The efforts of the parks and gardens staff are a part of Council's ongoing commitment to the continual beautification of parks, gardens and open spaces across the municipality.
