Pictured: Staff at Plantscape prepare the herb planters ahead of delivering them to Ipswich and Kirklees

Pedestrians walking through Ipswich this Autumn will be greeted by the scent of rosemary and lavender as part of a trial run for planters stocked with colourful and aromatic herbs.

The town's Business Improvement District management organisation, Ipswich Central, has ordered 15 one metre square planters containing a wide variety of herbs including cotton santolina, lemon balm, and topped off with spiky cordyline, which will act as a focal point.

The planters were supplied by Ashbourne-based Plantscape, which is ramping up its marketing of herb planters after noticing how its customers are increasingly using its containers to grow edible plants or aromatic varieties in sensory gardens.

They were delivered to Ipswich at the end of September, when they will replace the town's more traditional summer floral planting scheme.

Mark Stone, managing director of Plantscape, said: "Flowers are still the definite number one when it comes to displays, but there is certainly a growing demand for plants that look beyond the more obvious blooms.

"With this in mind, we decided to offer our regular customers the chance to replace their summer planters with herbs this autumn and we were delighted when Ipswich agreed to give them a go.

"While herbs may lack bright colour, they make up for it with interesting leaf structures and different shades, but it's when people rub their leaves as they pass by, releasing the scent, that they come into their own."

Ipswich Central manages the Ipswich Business Improvement District (BID) zone within the town centre, and is responsible for maintaining the welcoming appearance of the town so that it remains an attractive and appealing place for visitors and residents alike.

In the last five years, Ipswich Central has worked extremely hard to improve the town centre and create an attractive leisure, retail and residential destination. In total, 425 planters have been commissioned by Ipswich Central to brighten up the centre of Ipswich.

Paul Clement, Executive Director of Ipswich Central, said: "This is the first time we have had winter planting in Ipswich Central and we chose herbs over a more traditional floral scheme because we thought it would be something a little different for Ipswich and potentially provide a talking point for visitors.

"As a town, we are continually looking for ways to improve the landscape in our town centre, and one of the ways in which we have tackled this is by increasing the presence of planters over the years.

"There are over 700 businesses within our BID zone; and many of their employees both work and live in the town. We want to create displays that not only smell and look nice, but also add to the vibrant and attractive atmosphere we are striving to create in the centre of Ipswich."

Another council which has bought a herb planter from Plantscape is Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire, which has installed it on a local housing association development.

Kirklees has planted herbs in its containers for a number of years, placing them in towns such as Dewsbury, Birstall and Holmfirth - home of the long-running BBC comedy Last of the Summer Wine.

Paul Marshall, manager of Kirklees Council's Bradley nursery, said: "There is no doubt that plants enhance the living environment and, because they can be enjoyed in a number of ways, herbs help us in our aim to encourage more people to get into horticulture.

"We are always pleased to see people enjoying the herb planters in the town centres. They give off a marvellous scent when they rub their hands on them and if they want to take a couple of leaves for their cooking, that's great.

"But there is certainly a positive knock-on effect. When people get involved in growing and interacting with the plants on their estate, it gives them a sense of ownership in their surroundings. This in turn ensures that they look after the place and are more proactive when it comes to preventing vandalism and so on."

Plantscape is the country's largest supplier of floral features and supplies planters, ranging from its patented Hanging Holestar raised planters to large multi-tier Eyefull Towers. It is also one of only two UK companies to supply anti-terrorist planters tested to the ISO PAS68 standard.

Other products from Plantscape include lamppost-mounted solar-powered Christmas trees, which provide an eye-catching display without needing to be wired into the mains and no electricity bill.