Long Gardens - Perennial planting project
A greener, more sustainable Promenade
The transformation of Long Gardens has been in the making for over six years. It began when the Cabinet first supported moving from seasonal bedding to perennial planting schemes - successfully rolled out in areas like Sandford Park, Oxford and Priory Gardens, Montpellier Roundabout, and Barclay Gardens. Their popularity paved the way for this prestigious location in front of the Municipal Offices.
Securing the green light
Last year our revised proposal received approval - mainly for cost savings, but also because biodiversity has become a priority in public space planning. The new planting scheme checked all the boxes, and at long last, we rolled up our sleeves and got started.
The challenge of a planting plan
Designing this plan was a labour of love. Starting from thousands of potential species, we carefully narrowed choices based on:
- Shade versus full sun exposure
- Drought resistance
- Year-round colour and seasonal interest
- Pollinator support (particularly bees)
- Long-term maintenance needs
Though still in its early stages, the planting is already starting to delight passers-by with shifting colours, new butterfly or bee visitors, and sensory highlights.
You can see the planting plan in the image below - click or tap the image to view full size.
Shaping heritage with a modern twist
Our original concept included reshaping the beds, but after internal consultations, we retained some of the original heritage shapes - namely the rectangular and circular beds - while returfing smaller, odd-shaped areas to blend more gracefully. Beds were slightly repositioned to create better visual symmetry across both sides of the gardens, as shown in the planting plan.
Bringing the scheme to life
The shift from traditional annual bedding, which demanded frequent seasonal planting, heavy watering, and high labour, to perennials has been transformative:
- Planning to planting took around six months (excluding project meetings and coordination).
- Soil preparation alone took several weeks, handled expertly by our small but dedicated green team from Ubico, Andrew and Jonathan, whose experience managing other perennial schemes across the town is invaluable.
- We added over 28 tonnes of fresh topsoil, and planting was done over three weeks in phased stages. To protect the plants during the dry summer, we applied mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
What’s next?
The final phase is scheduled for autumn 2025, when we’ll be planting a variety of spring bulbs to extend seasonal interest from winter through to summer.
Acknowledgements
- Led and coordinated by Marta Cowling, public realm and landscape architect at Cheltenham Borough Council.
- Strategic support from team members including Adam Reynolds and Malcolm Walls from the green space team.
- Ongoing care and planting delivery by green team from Ubico.
- Partial funding provided by Gloucestershire County Council trees team.
- Plant supply thanks to Wyevale Nurseries.