2024 proved to be yet another successful season as we produced some outstanding displays, both in traditional carpet bedding & 3D form. Some key anniversaries were celebrated including that of the 80th D-Day commemorations. These formed the backbone of our bedding displays with dozens leaving destined for council and local authority plantings.
We were also fortunate to create some bespoke 3D displays for clients including two huge bumblebees weighing in at as much as a mid-sized car each!
Although far too many projects to mention were lovingly planted by our dedicated team, Chris Harnett, InstaPlant Manager has chosen some personal highlights to detail below:
SWISCo Torquay – Torquay Council
We produced many D-Day carpet beds for all over the UK to commemorate 80 Years since D-Day. One of the largest D-Day carpet beds was produced for Torquay in Devon. The design was simple but highly effective using over 10,000 plants.
The display was grown on for five weeks before being prepared for delivery loaded on to lorries at the end of May.
We also produced a life size Spitfire carpet bed which had a wingspan of 11.4 metres and was 9.1 metres from nose to tail. It was great to design and produce in the nursery and looked fantastic when it was installed at the end of May ready for their D-Day events.
Ashford, Kent
We were also asked to replant the 3D Spitfire for Ashford in Kent for the commemorative year. The framework was collected from Kent in April and replanted in the nursery in May complete with D 80 lettering to represent D-Day 80 Years.
The 3D Spitfire was sent back to Ashford planted up and was installed in the local park ready for their D-Day event and visitors to enjoy over the summer months.
Waddesdon Manor – Flights of Fancy
Birds was the theme for Waddesdon this year, the design was based on ‘Flights of Fancy’ a display of bird paintings on display in the Manor. The wiggly lines in the background of the carpet bed were based on the artwork on a large vase for display in the Manor.
The carpet bed was 16m wide x 4m deep and was produced in the nursery in May. The carpet bed required just over 25,000 carpet bedding plants to produce the work of art.
The carpet bed was installed on the parterre at Waddesdon by National Trust volunteers in late May. It looked stunning and the carpet bed was admired by many of the 1000’s of visitors to Waddesdon Manor.
We were also asked to produce a carpet bed at the last minute as a tribute for the late Lord Jacob Rothschild 1936 – 2024. The carpet bed was 15m wide and included the Rothschild’s logo – the Five Arrows.
3D Bees for Belfast – Belfast One
We produced two 3D Bees for Belfast, massive 3-metre-long 3D InstaPlant Bees that each weigh 3 ton and stand at 2 metres tall, even taller with the wings attached.
The framework was created at Underhill steel fabricators in Plympton and delivered to Kernock to plant up with carpet bedding. The 3D Bees were designed in CAD and approved by the customer before production commences.
The Bees named ‘Barry’ and ‘Buzz’ have been great characters here at Kernock bringing a smile to all who see them. Created for Belfast City Council they were shipped to Northern Ireland and installed in Belfast city centre ready for the big parade.
The Bees were created in a steel framework, had an irrigation system installed, were packed with compost and planted up with Alternanthera and Sedum.
Chris Harnett, InstaPlant Manager said “The 3D Bees were a joy to produce, the size of the Bees did have its challenges in production but the end result was fantastic, they were very popular characters here at Kernock. We are very pleased to have produced these wonderful displays for Belfast.”
The Bees needed phytosanitary certificates and were loaded on to a lorry and transported to Belfast where they were installed in the city centre and well received by the people of Belfast and the visitors.
