At the Chelsea Flower Show, McQueens Flowers has the Per Oculus Apum installation on show – meaning Through the Eyes of Bees - an immense 20m long by 7m wide tunnel and immersive installation that focuses on wild, organic bee-friendly flowers in vibrant colours like yellow and includes an upside-down lavender field.
This striking display is evocative of how bees see flowers in ultra-violet (UV). The flowers form a canopy across the ceiling of the tunnel and curve in a half-turn helix downwards spilling out on to the floor in a wave shape. It brings the walkway to life with an oscillating soundscape of the electrostatic patters that help guide bees to the flowers - the electric potential of a petunia flower-stem over time as a bee lands. Miller Harris has provided a honey scent trail along the tunnel to complete the experience for a thought-provoking, immersive sensory experience on many levels. The deeper message from Per Oculus Apum is to revel in the wonder of a bee’s life – and to inspire the conservation of these perfect little pollinators that play a vital role in our ecosystem.
McQueens Flowers has collaborated with Dr David Lawson, bee behaviourist at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol to help give insight into bees’ behaviour and their relationship with flowers.
The installations educate visitors as to how bees see flowers and the crucial role that they play in producing a third of the food we eat. The aim is to emphasise the plight of bees, the importance of nurturing the bee population and indirectly invite people to join the campaign to save them.
For more information:
McQueens Flowers
www.mcqueens.co.uk
