The Angel flowerbed created by Gateshead Council gardeners
Gardeners from Gateshead Council have been showing off their talents, with a specially designed flowerbed to commemorate the Angel of the North's tenth birthday.
The flowerbed, which can be seen at the major junction of the Old Durham Road and Sunderland Road in Gateshead, features a picture of the Angel, with the words – Gateshead Angel 1998-2008 – depicted in flowers.
Created from red sedum, the Angel image sits on a background of busy lizzies, with golden moss used for the letters and numbering.
The designs were originally created on paper and transferred onto the soil using spray paint. It then took two skilled gardeners two days to plant the flowers, which will now last until October.
Gateshead Council head of waste services and grounds maintenance, Colin Huntington, said: "Although it might seem very straightforward, planting of this type is an extremely intricate job and takes an enormous amount of patience and flair by our gardeners.
"We are very proud of the finished results. Creating this flowerbed is a unique way to mark the Angel's tenth birthday celebrations and hopefully it will provide pleasure for those who see it right through until the autumn."
The Angel flowerbed will be one of the floral displays viewed by judges from Britain in Bloom, when they visit Gateshead in August to assess central Gateshead for the 'small city' category of the national competition.
