By Dave Gudgeon

Last updated 05:34, Friday, 01 August 2008

CARLISLE’S position as a Fairtrade city has been recognised in a most unusual way in one of the city’s key landmarks.

• Video: watch the ceremony

Say it with flowers: Carlisle Mayor Jacqui Geddes and Alison McKee put finishing touches to the Fairtrade flower bed

The city council has worked with the Carlisle Fairtrade Group to depict the nationally recognised Fairtrade logo in bedding plants in the raised flower bed at the Castle Street entrance to the cathedral.

Carlisle Mayor Jacquelyne Geddes, who is also the city council’s Fairtrade member champion, attended a ceremony there on Wednesday along with Alison McKee, secretary of Carlisle’s Fairtrade Group.

Using the Fairtrade logo as the design, the city council’s Green Spaces’ team used computer-aided technology to provide the blueprint for this flowerbed design. Bedding plants were then matched to replicate the logo’s colours.

More than 5,000 plants were used as the plant varieties, Sedum Gold Mound, Alternantheraleh K, Ajuga chocolate chip and Echeveria glauca, are very small.

It took two gardeners more than two days to carry out the planting.

Mrs Geddes said: “Carlisle is a thriving Fairtrade city with many of our shops, cafés, restaurants and businesses using and selling Fairtrade products. This is a very strong visual way of promoting Fairtrade but just as importantly it provides a very attractive focal point for visitors, shoppers and residents who enjoy the cathedral grounds.”

There are two carpet beds located within the district which the city council have created designs for – one at St Aidan’s church and the other within the cathedral grounds.

Anyone interested in making suggestions for future designs should contact the Green Spaces team on 01228 625060.