Flowers cheer up our urban landscape, especially in these times of austerity. From City councils with their formal plant displays to guerilla gardeners, people are doing their best to keep the gloom at bay.

Plants do their bit as well by self-seeding into the cracks in pavements where they flourish alongside the rubbish.

In my part of North London where open space is sadly lacking, people are turning every little bit of brown space into green. The local gardening group plants up “Forgotten Corners” making these once litter strewn waste areas little oases of colour.

On council estate residents are encouraged to help plant up the communal areas which are no longer barren tarmac. This gives people a sense of involvement that wasn’t always there before. Whilst community gardens bring people together in their creation.

Everybody wants an allotment but there are not enough to go round.

With the coming of Spring people can be seen all over the city their arms full of plants taking them home to brighten up their own environment.

People love their flowers and feel better when they see their urban landscape transformed by them.