Guernsey Press

North Plantation flowerbed blooms with Pride

A COLOURFUL rainbow carpet bed is in full bloom on North Plantation, outside Visit Guernsey’s office, ahead of this weekend’s Channel Islands Pride 2020.

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A flowerbed has been planted with rainbow flowers ahead of this weekend’s Pride parade. Left to right, Richard Langmead of States Works with Liberate’s vice chair Ellie Jones. (28666631)

The display, planted and maintained by States Works’ Land Management Team, was the idea of Ellie Jones and her team at Liberate Guernsey who, back in the winter months, thought it would be good to see the rainbow flag displayed florally in time for Channel Islands Pride 2020 event this Saturday.

‘Each year we try to do something new and unique to catch people’s attention and start a conversation,’ said Ellie Jones.

‘One of our team had some contacts in the States and managed to get the request to the right people, and, lo and behold, it has appeared in time.

‘The display that’s been created is beautiful and sends out such a strong message of Guernsey being inclusive. We are very grateful to the States Works team for putting the display together. The rainbow seems to have become a symbol of 2020 and #GuernseyTogether, so it has a dual purpose.’

Richard Langmead, assistant manager at Land Management at States Works, said that although the team has created many different displays over the years this was the first rainbow.

‘We are always keen to promote charities using our carpet bed displays situated in prominent positions around St Peter Port,’ he said.

‘Planning for the Liberate carpet bed was fairly straightforward, with the colour purple proving the most challenging. We had originally ordered the plants from a UK supplier, but our order was cancelled due to the knock-on effects of Covid-19. We then had to source seeds from the UK which we sowed when we returned to work at the end of April.

‘These were then picked out a couple of weeks later and grown on in our Burnt Lane greenhouse until we planted them out.’

The plants used were Begonia Devil Red, Marigold Bonanza Deep Orange, Marigold Bonanza Yellow, fine green turf, Ageratum F1 Bermuda Blue and Alyssum Wonderland Deep Purple.

The bed is maintained by the Land Management team on a biweekly basis when the plants are clipped to keep them the correct height and shape. The bed is also watered weekly using a States Works mobile water tanker.

Carpet beds are open to any interested charity or organisation by initially contacting Jan Dockeril at Agriculture, Countryside & Land Management Services.