I AM replying to Mr John Robert’s letter re town flowers that appeared in last week’s edition of the Western Telegraph.

I don’t know if Mr Roberts is aware, but it now falls upon all town councils to buy in their own flowers. The county council no longer pays for them. The lovely towers and hanging baskets that you see in Pembroke town have to be paid for out of Pembroke Town Council’s budget.

A small band of volunteers, including myself, spend many hours planting the Darklin flowers, Pembroke Station blooms and the flowers underneath the gateway signs at the top of Bush Hill, Holyland, and the ‘Welcome to Pembroke’ sign on the Upper Lamphey road.

Residents of the town do not seem to realise the hours of hard work members of Pembroke Town council and council staff put into making Pembroke look attractive.

I was interested to hear that Mr Roberts is a retired horticultural expert. I am not a professional gardener but I am a volunteer gardener working at Stackpole gardens, so we would welcome Mr Roberts’ horticultural expertise and would be delighted to have him on board.

If he introduces himself to our town hall staff they will point him in the right direction and possibly furnish him with a trowel!

Melanie Phillips

Pembroke