Yesterday it was a sea of red now Nottingham's Old Market Square is being filled with purple, silver and blue plants for a stunning display to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Twenty four hours after ecstatic Nottingham Forest fans packed into the heart of the city to celebrate the team's promotion to the Premier League, attention turned to the momentous royal occasion.
A giant floral jubilee-themed '70' is being created using more than 5,100 plants grown at the city’s Woodthorpe Park Nurseries, where they have been nurtured in glasshouses since mid-March. Plant varieties include Heliotrope, Petunia, Surfinia, Verbena, Calibrachoa, Festuca, Lavendula, Athyrium, and Tradescantia.
A replica Coronation crown has gone up on the Council House, inspired by an image used in a photo exhibition of Old Market Square in 1953 when it was elaborately dressed for the Coronation. The crown has been constructed by Nottingham-based scenic artists Makers.UK, who have more than 30 years of experience in art fabrication and model-making.
It has been made from painted fibreglass over sculpted polystyrene bonded to plywood and has taken approximately a month to recreate. Nottingham City Council has partnered with major local employer Capital One, and with Nottingham BID for the Jubilee celebration.
The floral display will remain until June 10, after which the plants will return to Woodthorpe Park Plant Shop, where they will be sold to customers with some donated to local care homes for the elderly.
