article: Mr Hayes, 71, spent three months making and decorating the framework which contains 128 pots of home-grown blooms. "It was supposed to be 40ft high but the wife wouldn't let me go any higher," said Mr Hayes, who also built his own home. The tower is made up of six box sections welded and stacked on top of each other and tethered to a wall. Mr Hayes spends three hours twice a week weeding and watering his upwardly mobile flower be, and has already given it a replanting makeover. The part-time office furniture salesman said he thought up the project when he was left with a surplus of steel struts after recycling some office desks. "My wife loves it to bits, so do all my neighbours," he said. "The reason I'm proud of it is it's a one-off, it looks beautiful and I didn't need any help to make it, everything was done by me, nobody even handed me even a spanner." With its overhanging cover, the pots in Mr Hayes's flower tower each contain five different plants. Initially, they had daffodils and tulips but when those died out he replaced them with fuchsias, geraniums, pansies and others. The couple live in the bungalow Mr Hayes built over three levels himself almost 40 years ago. He has also worked as a window builder and fitter and has done odd jobs throughout his life. Mr Hayes moved to Newport from Iraq when he was 19. His father was an engineer but Mr Hayes says he is totally self taught. He said: "If you can't think how to do it, think harder!" "Some say "Jack of all trades but master of none" but I don't believe in that saying - I would challenge any plasterer, any welder."
summary: Retired steel worker Edward Hayes has built a 26ft (8m) tower of flowers in the drive of his Newport home.