2022 saw the first year of a proposed transformation of the moat around the Tower of London annually, from a flat lawn into a biodiverse habitat for pollinators and a beautiful naturalistic landscape. The colours of the flowers are on the one hand spectacular and on the other soft and muted. As you wander through the paths you are drawn to stop and admire, soak it all in and reflect.
The flowers have been planted across 14,000 square metres using fifteen different seed mixes, wildflower turf and a range of perennial plants.
The team who planted all the blooms anticipated that the three sides of the moat would have different conditions, but this did not quite work out as planned. The wind off the Thames was a major factor in affecting growth, so there were a few surprises along the way.
There is a circular willow "nest", a sculpture by the artist Spencer Jenkins. It is hand-crafted by Spencer out of black maul steamed willow. It is designed to encourage people to pause, slow down and take time to enjoy the changing landscape of the moat.
When you see the blooms from the pavement above, they look interesting but not spectacular. It isn’t until you enter the moat that you get totally drawn in and lose yourself with thoughts, smells and memories of summer days in the meadows of our childhood. One of the main aims of the project was to inspire people across the country to create new green spaces and habitats for wildlife.
The attached pictures tell the whole story.
