Giant hanging basket is 'wonder of the world'

A hanging basket that is claimed to be the world's largest has been hoisted into pride of place on the side of a new London hotel.

The giant quarter-tonne basket, which measures 20ft by 10ft, has room for more than 100 varieties of flowers, and is suspended 25 ft above the entrance to Hotel Indigo.

The 'Hanging Gardens of Paddington', as the enormous basket has been dubbed, was the creation of a team of designers, gardeners and even engineers, and took eight hours to winch into place.

It was created to mark the opening of the boutique hotel - the first of the chain outside of North America.

Spokesman Karin Nielsen said: "Our new hotel is all about unique design, bold colours and seasonal changes, so what better way to mark its arrival in the UK than by creating the world's largest hanging basket?

"We've taken our inspiration from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and hope that our hanging garden will become a wonder of London."

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