The London Blossom Garden remembers those we have lost to Covid-19, and commemorates our incredible key workers.
The lovely new park features 33 blossom trees—one for each London borough—and was officially opened inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park yesterday. Eight species of spring blossoming trees have been chosen, as it was blossom season when we first went into lockdown early last year. They’ve been planted in three rings; a central ring of 17 trees, plus two smaller rings of nine and seven trees. The London Blossom Garden, which can be found in the north of the park, was created in partnership with the National Trust and supported by Bloomberg.
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London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, said: “We have created a space for all Londoners to spend time in nature and reflect on their experiences of the pandemic. The garden is a living and lasting memorial to the Londoners we’ve lost to this terrible virus and a tribute to our amazing key workers who got our city through one of the most difficult periods in our history.”
City Hall hopes that the London Blossom Garden will be a permanent reminder of London’s togetherness throughout troubling times.
Director for London and the South East from the National Trust, Nicola Briggs, said: “This space will thrive and become more beautiful as the trees grow and become part of their surroundings.
“We want to work hard to ensure that together we design something that is appropriate for the neighbouring communities; somewhere that becomes a space for reflection as well as bringing nature and beauty to more people.”