Flowers are blooming on the Tube (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Flowers are blooming on the Tube

3:00pm Friday 29th September 2006

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COLOURFUL hanging baskets of flowers at Leytonstone station earned the Tube stop second place in the London Underground Station Gardens Competition 2006.

Every year, the contest rewards station staff who go beyond the call of duty to make the Underground prettier by designing and cultivating station gardens in their free time.

This year 32 stations and one train depot across the London Underground network in 19 different boroughs competed to win one of the much coveted prizes.

Leytonstone station won in the hanging baskets category.

Wayne Isaacs, group station manager at Leytonstone station, said: "We were stunned to come second. This is the first year we have done this and we hope it will be even better next year. It has been a team effort at the station.

"Leytonstone station had been a bit sad for years, so it's been great to improve the ambience and boost morale. We've had lots of positive comments from customers."

Howard Collins, London Underground service director, said: "We are delighted with the results of the station gardens competition this year.

"We have seen some spectacular work from our station gardeners who give their spare time freely to these gardens.

"They have truly impressed us with their gardening skills and devotion to make Underground stations more colourful and enjoyable for our passengers and staff.

"It has been a pleasure to witness the whole process and observe the difference these works of art make to the station and those who use them."

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