Commercial plant supplier, Johnsons of Whixley has partnered with landscaping contractor ATM Ltd to supply thousands of plants to the York Museum Gardens as part of the recent Environmental Agency flood defence improvements project.

The planting design was developed by Steve Williams, garden manager at York Museum Trust and consultants AECOM. Some of the planting had to be removed, whilst others needed rejuvenation.

Johnsons of Whixley supplied a multi-seasonal range of plants to ensure flowering throughout the year to support local pollinators. The plants used included Astrantia, Helleborus, and Hydrangea.

ATM contributed the soft landscaping for the project following engineering works to raise an existing flood bank.

York Museum Trust garden manager, Steve Williams says: “We are committed to improving the biodiversity of our city-centre gardens which welcomes over 1.3 million visitors a year. The plants have helped us to implement a new biodiverse scheme for our Riverside walk in an area which has recently undergone flood scheme alleviation.

“We selected plants that would flower at different times of the year, including pollinator and butterfly-friendly flowers which will help insects to thrive and also support the lifecycles of wider wildlife in the area.”

The gardens and museum were given in trust to the City of York Council in 1960 and have been managed by the York Museums Trust since 2002.