Eastbourne Carpet Gardens Survey 2026

Share your views on the planting styles at the Carpet Gardens

In Summer 2025, Eastbourne Borough Council renovated the Carpet Gardens to showcase a sustainable style of planting. This was designed to demonstrate an attractive year-round display for residents and visitors, while also responding to the greater extremes of wet, hot and dry weather we now experience, and benefiting wildlife.

The council also used this as an opportunity to remove an invasive, non-domestic weed called Oxalis latifolia, and to undertake repairs and general maintenance of the site.

One section of the Carpet Gardens remained planted with the traditional summer bedding plants, allowing people compare the two styles.

The traditional bedding scheme has been in place for many years. While this approach provides an attractive display in spring and summer, it means the plants must be changed twice a year. This is a costly approach by modern standards and does not provide the biodiversity necessary to support wildlife.

The new plants are better suited to the seafront conditions and will support wildlife by being pollinator-friendly providing nectar for insects and seeds for birds.

Typical annual costs of the different planting styles (based on an average year):

	One-Off Planting Cost in May 2025	Annual Planting Cost	Annual Maintenance Cost	Planting and maintenance cost over 10 years
Traditional	-	£10,000	£96,000	£1,060,000
Sustainable	£137,000	-	£12,000	£257,000

Feedback survey

We would like to know what you think about the traditional style and new, sustainable style of planting at the Carpet Gardens.

The views we receive through this survey will determine the future planting style at the Carpet Gardens.

Please take a few moments to complete the short, independent survey:

Take the survey

The survey will stay open until Sunday 31 August 2026 at 5pm.

You can pick up a paper copy of the survey from:

Seafront Office, beside the Bandstand
Eastbourne Borough Council, 1 Grove Road, Eastbourne, BN21 4TL
Qualisea Fish Restaurant, 189 Terminus Rd, Eastbourne BN21 3DH

Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of the new, sustainable style of planting?

Benefits of the new, sustainable style of planting include:

Different displays and colour throughout the year
Perennial plants that grow and mature over time
Plants better suited to the seaside conditions and the weather we now experience
Pollinator-attracting plants
Food for wildlife
Improved soil health
Increased carbon capture
Less wastage and lower costs
The plants will change visually with the seasons
The plants will last for many years
A naturalistic design
There will be year-round floral and foliage interest

What can I expect to see at the Carpet Gardens throughout the year with the new, sustainable planting?

Early colour will soon be provided by Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia Characias), known for its striking yellow‑green flowers with a deep red eye, alongside the vivid orange blooms of Rock Rose (Helianthemum).

Visitors will also see the distinctive sulphur‑yellow flowers of Golden-leaved Jerusalem sage (Phlomis)and the delicate, star‑shaped white blossoms of Tulip (Tulipa Tarda).

Looking ahead to the summer months, the seafront will showcase bold displays from plants such as Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia),with its red, orange and yellow spires, the vivid blue of Russian Sage (Perovskia Atriplicifolia), the scented purple flowers of Lavender (Lavandula), and several varieties of Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus), including the deep blue 'Ever Sapphire'.

Below gives an approximate timetable of what will be on display over the course of a year:

Schedule of sustainable planting at the Carpet Gardens

Has a survey already been carried out about the Carpet Gardens?

Yes. The council carried out a survey in 2025 over new the planting scheme within the Carpet Gardens.

3,759 people responded to the survey, with 51% positive about the new style and 41% negative. Additionally, 51% wanted to see the scheme in other gardens across the town, while 49% stated that they didn't.

As the planting matures, residents and visitors will see a more vibrant, more sustainable and more resilient seafront.

Who is carrying out the independent survey?

The current survey is being carried out independently of the council, by a company called Blueberry PR. A range of different private and voluntary sector providers were presented to community campaigners to choose from to run the survey, and they chose Blueberry PR because of the company's independence from the council. Eastbourne Borough Council had no previous knowledge or relationship of any type with Blueberry PR or the founder and Managing Director Suzi Christie prior to this survey. The survey questions were agreed with community campaigners before being sent to Blueberry PR to create the independent survey - they were not written by the company.

Was the new, sustainable style of planting permanent?

No. The new style was always intended to showcase a new style of planting. We have extended the showcase for a second year, to give residents and visitors and opportunity to feedback on the new style.

Why could sustainable planting be better than the traditional style?

Sustainable planting is generally considered superior to traditional bedding because it focuses on long-term ecological health and resource efficiency, whereas traditional bedding often relies on high-maintenance, short-lived "show" plants.

Key reasons why sustainable planting is better include:

Biodiversity Support:Traditional bedding plants are often bred for aesthetics and may offer little to no nectar for wildlife. Sustainable choices, such as native wildflowers and nectar-rich perennials, provide essential food and habitats for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Climate Resilience: Native and sustainable plants are better adapted to local UK soils and climates, making them hardier against extreme weather like drought or heavy rain. For example, the Royal Horticultural Society highlights how sustainable planting can help create "sponge cities" that store water and reduce urban flooding.
Environmental Impact: Sustainable practices often include a commitment to being peat-free, protecting vital peatland bogs that act as carbon sinks. Additionally, perennial root systems help sequester carbon and improve soil structure, whereas the constant digging required for seasonal bedding can damage soil biology and release stored CO2.
Year-Round Interest: While traditional bedding offers a concentrated burst of colour that fades quickly, sustainable planting can be designed for year-round structure and visual interest through a mix of grasses, evergreen shrubs, and varying bloom times.
Cost:Sustainable planting typically uses perennials that return year after year, eliminating the need for expensive seasonal replanting. Once established, these plants require significantly less watering and chemical fertilisation compared to thirsty bedding plants like petunias or begonias.

Why have differing figures been published about the costs of the Carpet Gardens?

A reporting error led to inaccurate figures relating to the cost of the renovation of the Carpet Gardens being published on the Eastbourne Borough Council website. This reporting error has now been corrected. We can confirm the figures published have been doubt checked and are now accurate.

Where can I see the traditional style of planting?

A section of the Carpet Gardens has been kept in the traditional planting style. This is to give residents and visitors the opportunity to compare the traditional style with the new, sustainable style of planting.

The traditional bedding is being prepared and will be in place in June 2026.