Flower show success
Liverpool's Parks and Greenspaces team has struck gold at the Southport Flower Show.
The city council’s exhibit beat off competition from 62 other exhibitors to be awarded a Large Gold Medal for its 1920s inspired display.
The floral masterpiece has also won two trophies for being the most educational and the best local authority exhibit.
The council’s green-fingered team recreated the city’s famous Botanical Collection - which was located in Wavertree Botanic Park in the twenties. The collection was hugely popular with visitors until the greenhouses were destroyed during World War Two.
Sefton Park Palm House was also used as an inspiration for the exhibit, with photos depicting its history included in the display, along with pictures of the famous Peter Pan statue, first placed in Sefton Park in the 1920s.
The team scooped the awards based on the look of the display and the quality and variety of plants used.
The city council’s executive member for the environment, Councillor Berni Turner, said: “This is brilliant news and huge congratulations go to the talented and creative team behind the display.
“We struck gold last year with Mr Roscoe’s Garden, so to get top marks for a second year is a credit to all the hard work which has gone into the stunning display.
“Liverpool’s gardeners are renowned for their fantastic work and it’s even better news that Liverpool achieved these accolades in our Year of the Environment.”
The council’s exhibit was put together by the horticulture team based at Greenhill Nurseries and Croxteth Country Park’s Walled Garden.
They drew on their extensive knowledge of gardening to select some favourite plants of the 1920s, including ones that were new and fashionable at the time.
Plants featured include Spotted Laurel (Aucuba japonica), and False Castor Oil (Fatsia japonica) plants. These are now common in gardens, but were exciting finds for British gardeners during the twenties and reflected the fascination with Japan and the Far East.
