Planting a lasting tribute

A tree will be planted in Victoria Park, Portsmouth, as a lasting tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and Portsmouth City Council is planning to use a very special compost to help it grow.

The many bunches of flowers placed on Portsmouth Guildhall steps during the period of mourning were collected on Tuesday 20 September and the council plan to turn them into compost which will be used when the memorial tree is planted next year.

The thoughtful cards and messages, which were included with the flowers, have been collected and will be put with the condolence books as a lasting memorial.

Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, said: “It was wonderful to see the flowers that had been laid on the Guildhall steps by residents and visitors in tribute to the Queen. These will now be composted, and the compost used when we plant a tree to remember the Queen, which will be fed with the best wishes of all who laid flowers.”

The city is also taking part in The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC), which is a unique tree planting initiative originally created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and invited people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.

To find out how to get involved and the types of trees to plant visit www.queensgreencanopy.org/get-involved