The concrete jungle turns green again
Hilary Hall, chair of the Floral Trail Steering Committee, says this year’s Floral Trail will be the best ever...
When I became involved in Birmingham City Centre’s entry in the Britain in Bloom competition last year, I thought it was simply about making the city look pretty with planters and hanging baskets filled with colourful blooms.
How wrong I was. Britain in Bloom is about flowers, but it’s about so much else, too. Environmental issues and community participation now play a major role – and with a national award at stake this year, we have risen to the challenge as never before.
As chair of the City Centre Floral Trail Steering Committee, the umbrella group responsible for the 3.5 mile Floral Trail, I am excited by the stunning displays and educational features we have created in the heart of a conurbation that was once considered a concrete jungle.
From environmental projects such as “bee hotels” – part of a scientific project to boost the dwindling population of Mason bees – and a green roof on the International Convention Centre to floral sculptures including a stiletto shoe and a Mini car decked in blooms, this year’s Trail is a wonderful example of how it is possible to make a major city look aesthetically pleasing in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way.
What is also exciting is that the theme of this year’s competition, “local roots”, lends itself to Birmingham’s heritage as a world leader in industrial innovation.
Thus, 200 years after Matthew Boulton’s death, we have been able to celebrate this great 18th-century entrepreneur by creating seven Trail features which reflect his achievements.
The flower-bedecked Mini is also significant as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic car’s production at Longbridge.
