Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is honoured to host the London Blossom Garden – a living memorial to commemorate the city's shared experience of the Coronavirus pandemic. The garden offers a place of reflection for Londoners to remember those who have lost their lives, and pays tribute to London’s brave key workers who risked their own lives to help others and keep our city moving.
Local communities have helped to shape the design of the garden and it has been created for everyone to find solace in and enjoy: a place for everyone to visit, stop and reflect, and a peaceful haven where wildlife can thrive.
Planted in the north of the Park, the garden has 33 blossom trees, each representing a London borough, including the City of London. The trees are arranged in three close circles made up of eight different species of tree. Every spring the garden will come alive with hawthorn, cherry, cherry plum, and crab apple blossom, creating a stunning scene of colourful blossoms against a backdrop of the vibrant green surrounding parklands.
The rich grassy lawns and vast planting beds provide spaces for wildlife to thrive, and as they mature, the trees will provide shade and shelter for both visitors and wildlife alike.
The path contains 33 pieces of recycled concrete and reclaimed timber to echo the number of trees. Seating near each tree ring provides a space for you to sit and reflect in the natural surroundings.
The garden is enclosed within the existing banks of the Park to give a sense of refuge from the rest of the city, and offer a peaceful and tranquil space for reflection.
“This public garden of blossom trees will be a permanent reminder of the lives that have been lost, a tribute to every single key worker, and a symbol of how Londoners have stood together to help one another.” Sadiq Khan, London Mayor.
Location
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Honour Lea Avenue
Stratford
E20 1DY