Yes, you read that right, there’s a Rowan Atkinson flower display in London. No, not designed by him. That would be too simple. It’s of him. Yes. A flower display. Of Rowan Atkinson.
Wait, no, scratch that.
There are multiple flower displays of Rowan Atkinson in London. Naturally.
The displays, at St Paul’s Cathedral, see sculptures of Atkinson’s character, Trevor, from his Netflix show ‘Man vs Bee’ (released June 24) filled with pollen and nectar-rich wildflowers. The life-sized sculptures, entitled ‘Growin Atkinson’ (better than our idea of ‘Mr Bee-n’) are intended to raise awareness for how the public can help Britain’s endangered bee population.
As the number of honeybee hives in the UK has soared, from well-meaning people looking to help the environment, the number of native pollinators in the UK has dropped. With not enough nectar and pollen to go around, many native British bee species are now endangered. Experts believe that up to 17 UK bee species may now be extinct, with many more at risk. The ‘Growin Atkinson’ display urges the public to consider their local environment before choosing to keep hives. Their unveiling also coincides with a mass giveaway of seeds to encourage the planting of wildflowers to support UK bees.
The Rowan Atkinson flower displays, affectionally referred to as ‘bee buffets’ for the sheer amount of pollen and nectar on offer, are on display from June 24. Following their display, they will be donated to The British Bee Charity. The ‘Growin Atkinson’s will then find new homes to act as sustainable, natural food sources for the bees.
To find out more, head to The British Bee Charity website.