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Bluebells in the Park

In March 2013, 400 local school children from Thomas's Kensington, and other local schools, planted 40,000 native bluebells in Hyde Park to create a new wildflower meadow.

With flowers of a beautiful bluey-purple, bluebells are a treat to see in woodlands and parks. They are native to the UK, but currently considered a threatened species and it's important to care for their conservation.

Bluebells can be spotted in the Royal Parks, but we wanted to work with gardeners in Hyde Park to help plant more of these wildflowers for the benefit of wildlife and visitors alike.

Thanks to fantastic fundraising of the parents and teachers of students at London’s Thomas’s School in Kensington, in March 2013, 400 local school children were able to plant 40,000 new native English bluebells in Hyde Park, but as part of the Green Fingers in the Park programme,

Over two days, 400 children (aged 4-11) from local schools and a special needs group worked with expert horticultural officers, our education team and volunteers to plant 40,000 bulbs on the first day of spring.

Not only did the children love getting their hands dirty, the day was designed to be a great outside learning experience, linked with the national science curriculum. As well as the bulb planting, the pupils explored the Park to learn about its natural resources and spent time in the Isis Education Centre learning about the life cycle of plants, as well as planting a seed in a pot to take home to watch grow.

About her experience, Amelia, age 10, says:

The bluebells will look like a beautiful sea of flowers. It is wonderful to be surrounded by nature even though we live in a huge city, and we think that everybody who uses the park will feel happy when they see our flowers”