MORE than 100,000 flowers will be planted in displays across the city in the coming weeks thanks to the return of the Summer Flowers project.

Set to adorn the historic Rows and beautify the cityscape, this year’s floral installations have been generously funded by The Duke of Westminster and his fiancée Miss Olivia Henson, as part of their upcoming wedding celebrations.

A spokesperson for The Duke of Westminster and Miss Olivia Henson said: “The floral displays are a wonderful addition to the vibrancy of the city each summer, making the town centre awash with colour from locally grown flowers.

"While ordinarily the Summer Flowers project is funded by the Chester BID, The Duke of Westminster and Miss Olivia Henson have sponsored this year’s displays as part of local celebrations of their marriage at the Cathedral on June 7.

"They are very grateful for all the support and kind wishes they have received from people and organisations ahead of their wedding.”

The colourful displays, which will feature vibrant pollinators – benefiting biodiversity as well as the amenity of the city, will be planted from the end of May. 

Volunteers from local businesses will participate in Chester BID’s flower planting morning later this month. The popular event forms part of a wider initiative by Chester BID to foster community involvement from businesses and showcase the strong spirit of cooperation in the city district.

Luka Morrell, business engagement manager for Chester BID, expressed her excitement about the project.

She said: “The Summer Flowers project represents a heartfelt thank you to our communities, enhancing our beautiful city as we head into the summer months. We are immensely grateful for the support from The Duke and Olivia in bringing our Summer Flowers project to life this year.”

Last year, Chester BID installed over 139,032 flowers throughout the city, with partial funding provided for hanging baskets and floral displays at local businesses including Popcorn, Atina Kitchen, Natwest, Chez Jules, Cinderbox, and The Commercial.