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Amateur gardener fills more than 100 hanging baskets and pots in his small suburban garden

The hanging baskets of Bristol
The hanging baskets of Bristol

Story and video from SWNS

Meet the amateur gardener who fills more than 100 hanging baskets and pots in his small suburban garden with nearly 1,000 stunning plants every year.

Shaun Schroeder, 57, spends up to three hours a day planting, tending, dead-heading and watering his stunning collection of petunias and other assorted flowers.

He spends four months growing almost all of his 900 plants from seed, before potting them out in May, during a mammoth week-long planting session.

They sprawl across 120 hanging baskets and tubs that cover every inch of his modest 4m wide garden at the back of his semi detached home in Whitchurch, on the outskirts of Bristol.

The demolition worker can spend up to two hours a night just watering the colourful display - which peaks in late-July - with thousands of litres.

He's got one of the prettiest collection of baskets in Britain, and reckons it costs more than £1,000 every year, and six months to create.

And despite all the hard work, it all dies off in a matter of days at the sight of the first frost in November - leaving a barren scene until next year.

But dad-of-two Shaun said all the hard work is more than worth it to see the smiles on the faces of neighbours who walk past his home, and his wife Jan, 56, catering assistant.

Shaun said: "My budget for this project is £1,000 but I've definitely gone over that this year with the compost and fertiliser cost!

"I grow mainly petunias as I like the hundreds of different varieties but I also grow fuchsias, calabrachoias, geraniums, dahlias and verbenas, as well as begonia tubers which come back every year.

"I started doing this annual project about four years ago in earnest. The more I did it, the more people would comment that it brightens up the street.

"Everyone said how much they liked it so it gave me the incentive to do more.

"People have knocked on the door to say how nice it is - it makes it worthwhile to know it is appreciated."

As a child, Shaun helped his father in the garden but it was only when he moved to Bristol nine years ago that he really got bit by the gardening bug.

His scheme takes months of preparation, and begins in early February when he starts tending to seeds in a plant incubator indoors.

As the seeds start to germinate, Shaun moves them under artificial lights until they are big enough to be taken to the greenhouse where they grow alongside his plug plants.

After topping up his collection with more plants from visiting local nurseries, Shaun waits until the last frost of spring in late May is over before moving them outdoors.

His plants reach full bloom in the last week of July and into early August for Shaun and his neighbours to enjoy for the summer before they die off in November when the first frost comes.

Granddad of two Shaun said: "As you get older, you need a hobby so after my amateur football career ended, I thought I would try and grow some flowers to brighten up the garden.

"It started off with a few baskets and pots then over the years.

"I added more and more until I came up with the vertical garden and flower walls you see today.

"My garden provides me with exercise, satisfaction and a place to de-stress after work.

"Lots of people comment all the time and even put notes through the letterbox to ask to take photos!

"It does take a lot of time and effort but I feel so satisfied with all the flowers in bloom at the end and I love how much pleasure the garden has brought to me and lots of people."