New community flower projects taking root in Bury

Two Bury in Bloom projects have taken root, involving people across the age from pre-school to pensioners.

The Flowerheads art installation in Bury St Edmunds’ Abbey Gardens is a collaboration between Bury in Bloom, Smith’s Row Gallery, St Edmundsbury Borough Council, West Suffolk College and Proscape.

Bury in Bloom coordinator Melanie Lesser met artist Michael Brennan-Wood at his When Worlds Collide exhibition in Smith Row last year and the idea of an outdoor installation was born.

He created wooden flowers for it, which people coloured in at workshops in the gallery. He then put them onto bachgrounds to create the displays.

Planters were made by the college’s carpentry department and Nigel Kanes, who made Parkway’s St Edmund statue, made the stalks.

Michelle Freeman of Crafty Foxes ran 12 workshops where children made flowers from plastic bottles, to be added to the installation between 10am and 1pm on Saturday.

At the other end of the age range, five care homes in Bury have taken part in a pilot Senior Green Fingers competition which they hope will involve more homes next year.

Melanie said it was a good example of the community working together, with home residents, volunteers and staff joining forces.