Pix of the day. Tuesday, June 4th

Richard Wyatt

No bees are ever going to land on these.

I think by now you know how l feel about the city-wide rash of plastic flowers adorning entrances to shops, restaurants and shopping centres.

I know our traders have to do all they can to enhance their businesses and attract customers – pollinating insects don’t pay the rates – but we are supposed to be an environmental and ecologically-sensitive city now and surely doing all we can to bring nature back into our urban habitat.

Having just come back from Bordeaux, l wanted to show you how the French traders decorate their streets.

I am sure we don’t get the weather to make this possible here but in that part of France the air is heady with the smell of jasmine.

They seem to just dig holes in the streets and plant this perfumed climber.

Bravo to all our Bath traders who do plant a real living floral display outside their businesses. That goes for the Parks Department too!

Enhancing our reputation as a regular floral competition winner. Plastic petals just don’t do it for me. Mother Nature looks, and smells, so much better.

Published by Richard Wyatt

Freelance Journalist, broadcaster, columnist and local historian. Director of Bath Newseum. Married and lives in Bath. Interested in local history, architecture and visual display in museums and urban spaces.

7 Comments

  1. It is unbelievable how so many businesses think decorating their shops like an old tarts boudoir will attract more custom. They are not even Bordello chic!

  2. Bath used to be known as the floral city but now its the plastic city. Come on traders”GET REAL” !

  3. There used to be a huge flowerbed on the expanse of pavement outside what is now the ‘Black Fox’, where flowers have been replaced.

  4. The photos of Bath are sad to see vs your Bordeaux photos.
    Plastic flowers, bollards, bikes & scooters on pedestrianised pavements.
    The Council surely can’t think this is ‘eco’?
    What is happening to beautiful Bath?

  5. The plastic plants are nothing to do with the council. I’ve said it before, this abominable trend is all down to Bridgerton. Similar Georgian buildings in Edinburgh have been afflicted including one whole facade in the Grassmarket , covered in phoney wisteria
    and turning a perfectly ordinary pub into quote “a tart’s boudoir “!

  6. That looks like Trachelospermum jasminoides in your French pics. Perfectly happy in out UK climate too, just may be slightly later flowering. It’s evergreen too so ++

  7. What, if any, are the planning regulations regarding fake flowers on listed buildings? Shops seem to have to apply for planning permission for signage so why not fake flowers?

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