The Urban Buzz has well and truly arrived in the centre of Plymouth this year and it is starting to bloom, and buzz with bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.
To add to the fantastic flowers which are already in bloom over at Millbay Park and on many of the city centre’s major roundabouts and road verges, we have now moved right into the heart of the City centre and planted up some beautiful raised flower beds down New George Street and Cornwall Street.
These beds, once containing annual bedding plants, have been redesigned by Ashleigh Cook, Ben Pedler and Oliver Jackson who are horticultural apprentices at Plymouth City Council. With the help of local volunteers they have now been planted with pollinator-friendly flowers, which will provide a year-round supply of food for these vitally important insects.
Laura Curry, Plymouth’s Urban Buzz Officer said “It is fantastic to have a chance to work right in the centre of Plymouth and to be supporting the horticulturists of the future. Creating buzzing hotspots brings colour and life to the city centre – good for bees and good for people too!”
Councillor Mike Leaves, Cabinet member for the Environment said: “The wild flowers are a stunning addition to our city and a lot of people have commented on what a difference they make.
I’m also really pleased to see the beds have been designed by three of our apprentices. So this project is helping not just the bees and other pollinators, but our young people are learning skills too.”
Plymouth Urban Buzz, supported by Biffa Award, Garfield Weston Foundation and in partnership with Plymouth City Council is working very closely with local communities to create over 100 new places for our precious pollinators throughout the City. We are enhancing public green spaces by planting flower-filled pollinator patches, wildflower meadows and providing new pollinator nesting sites.
