The moat around the Tower of London will be transformed into a floral field to mark the 70th anniversary of The Queen’s reign.
The ancient royal building will be surrounded by millions of flowers in the summer of 2022 as part of celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee.
Visitors will be able to walk through the display, called ‘Superbloom’, as it continues to grow and develop from June until September 2022.
Over 20 million seeds will be planted in the moat in the spring of 2022. The mixes chosen are designed to attract pollinators and provide a new biodiverse habitat for wildlife.
A new sound installation and sculptural elements will also be added to the display.
The scheme has been designed by Historic Royal Palaces, which cares for the Tower, along with landscape architects, Grant Associates, and Nigel Dunnett who is Professor of Planting Design at the University of Sheffield.
The project is part of an ongoing plan to transform the moat into a new, natural landscape within London and it draws on historic uses for the area which was first constructed in the 13th century to defend the Tower.
In Victorian times, the moat area was used for grazing livestock while in the Middle Ages, parts of it were turned over to orchards. As recently as the Second World War, the moat became allotments.
And it’s not the first time this part of the famous royal fortress has gone green to mark a monarchical milestone. In 1977, the moat was used as part of a garden display for The Queen’s Silver Jubilee.
Tickets for Superbloom at the Tower of London will be available from December 6th 2021.
