A spectacular floral display celebrating St Helena Hospice has been unveiled on the flowerbed of Hollytrees Lawn.
More than 7,500 specialist plants grown for their foliage colour have been used to create the special St Helena floral badge.
The stunning feature has been donated by Colchester Borough Council in support of St Helena’s Forget Me Not campaign. The campaign invites people to remember their loved ones by dedicating ceramic forget-me-nots to another eye-catching display being created by the same team who brought the WW1 centenary poppies to the Tower of London – which is set to go on show in Castle Park’s Sensory Garden between the 6th and 8th July.
In recent years the Hollytrees badge border flowerbed has featured the 125th Anniversary of Castle Park, the Cubs’ centenary, the centenary of the Women's Institute's, Colchester Samaritans' 50th Anniversary and 50 years of King Coel's Kittens fireworks display in the park.
Councillor Tina Bourne, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities, said: “Castle Park is simply stunning at this time of year, with the spectacular sight of the St Helena floral badge providing a colourful new attraction for visitors to enjoy.
“My thanks go out to everyone who has contributed to such a vivid and poignant display and who help maintain our park to a very high standard for the enjoyment and benefit of us all.”
Helen Scatola, Individual Giving Fundraiser at St Helena, added: “We are so grateful for the incredible support that Colchester Borough Council has given our Forget Me Not campaign. It promises to be a really amazing event, and the addition of this beautiful badge border all the more special.”
Each year, gardeners plant 48,000 bedding plants and 23,000 bulbs in Castle Park. It takes a team of six gardeners around three weeks to plant the summer displays, beginning in early June.
The planting of badge borders in public parks is a tradition that stretches back to Victorian times and is sometimes called mosaiculture.