Flowers were literally everywhere, last weekend, as Queen Elizabeth II was honoured in the United Kingdom on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee.

A special nod, however, to commemorate her 70 years of service, was the sowing of over 20 million seeds from strategically selected flower species in the Tower of London moat.

The floral tribute is expected to blossom and morph over the summer into different colours and patterns to create an engaging and dramatic experience for observers.

It is expected that during the month of June, sunshiny yellows and oranges will spring up first with a mixture of Calendula ‘Pot Marigold’ Officinalis, Eschscholzia ‘California Poppy’ Californica, Gypsophila ‘Baby Breath’ Elegans and Dimorphotheca ‘African Daisy’ Aurantiaca.

Come July, the moat will be transformed into a dramatic sea of brilliant blues and purples, accented by radiant red with Papaver ‘Shirley Poppy’ Rhoeas and Centaurea ‘Cornflowers’ Cyanus.

To close out the jubilee celebrations, from August through September, a sea of golden blooms will blossom from Helianthus ‘Sunflowers’, Cosmos ‘Garden Cosmos’ Bipinnatus, and Coreopsis ‘Dyer’s Tickseed’ Tinctoria.

The 13th-century moat, which was once used to defend the Tower from invaders and was made into a lawn in 1845, is now, for the first time, accessible to the public.

Adding a touch of whimsy, to the celebration, visitors can enter the moat via a fully accessible visitor’s entrance, or arrive in royal style on the four lane Superbloom Slide which was recycled from a National Trust stately home!

Text: Historic Royal Palaces