An English garden welcome at Heathrow
Heathrow has partnered with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to bring the best in traditional English gardens to welcome passengers into London.
Between 15 April and 25 May, over eight million passengers travelling through Heathrow will be welcomed with distinctive garden displays to celebrate National Gardening Week (15 – 21 April) and the Chelsea Flower Show (21 – 25 May).
In a first for the airport, the forecourts of Terminals 3, 4 and 5 will be transformed into a living art installation by Tony Smith, winner of three Royal Horticultural Society best in show awards and gold at RHS Chelsea, RHS Hampton Court, RHS Tatton Park and Gardeners’ World Live Flower Shows.
Tony Smith said: "Creating living art installations for Heathrow has been a fantastic challenge. It’s amazing to think that so many international visitors will be able to enjoy my work and I hope the gardens are a memorable welcome home for British travellers."
Over 170 Heathrow and RHS volunteers wearing Wellington boots and gardening aprons will be busy welcoming passengers arriving into London and dispensing gardening advice. Restaurants at the airport will be continuing the theme with specially designed menus to celebrate the season, including native lobster with elderflower foam, pea shoots and violets from Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food and spring salads with edible flowers from 'rhubarb'.
Arriving passengers will also be encouraged to start their own English garden at home - 20,000 packets of seeds will be given away in the terminals, each with the potential to grow a square metre of wild flowers.
Colin Crosbie, curator at RHS Garden Wisley, said: "Britain is going wild for wildflowers during National Gardening Week and it’s fantastic that Heathrow is helping feed the nation’s appetite to grow wild by giving away 20,000 packets of seeds. Bookended by two of the most important events in the gardening calendar, the displays really should help make this a summer to remember for all garden lovers."
Colin Matthews, Heathrow CEO said: "The UK's hub airport is British and thoroughly international at the same time. Heathrow is pleased to join forces with the Royal Horticultural Society to celebrate some of the best of Britain with visitors from around the world."
