The red, orange, white and yellow poppies, hand made by children from Horniman Primary School in Forest Hill, south London, will be on display in the Horniman’s Gardens on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 May 2018, providing an additional burst of colour to its 16 acres of beautiful open space.
The Paper Poppies installation is the latest project by Forest Hill floral designer Yolanda Chiaramello, who worked with pupils to create the vibrant display as part of this year’s Chelsea Fringe festival – the volunteer-run celebration of plants, gardens and landscapes.
It’s a pleasure to work with our neighbouring school to host this lovely display of poppies and to share it with our visitors and the local community. I hope this special Chelsea Fringe addition to our Gardens will inspire a future generation of gardeners.
I see the many benefits of gardens and gardening and the positive effect they have, especially when working with young children. I chose wild poppies because they come in many different varieties, are wild, self-seed and grow where they please – they’re like a child’s mind, free of inhibition, creative, wild. I love the idea that each child makes their own flower, which then becomes part of a larger installation to be enjoyed by the public, something each child can be proud of. This is our fourth year taking part in Chelsea Fringe and we are absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to display the poppies within the Horniman Gardens, it feels very special.
We are so excited about this project. Every child across the school has made flowers and it is wonderful to be able to share our learning with the public in the Horniman Gardens which is a special and important place to us.
The poppies will be on display in the Horniman’s Wedding Garden, situated next to the Conservatory, on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 May. Entry to the Horniman’s Gardens and to see the Paper Poppies display is free.