‘Eco-graduation’ flowers planted around Kingston University

By Lina Sennevall

The roses, cyclamen and ivy used for graduation ceremonies at the Rose Theatre are this year being replanted across the university.

Rather than continue to use cut flowers, which are expensive and often unsustainably farmed, the graduations and events team made the decision to use potted plants instead. This only left the question of what to do with them after they made their bow at the Rose.

Sarah Bowness, graduations and events officer, said: “Everyone in the office was trying hard to re-home the plants that came back but it was tricky. 

“Not all of them got planted out, so we thought it made much more sense for the plants to be put on campus to brighten up the environment, instead. After replanting, the pots get sent back to me so I can get the florist to refill them for the next graduations. Everything is getting recycled.”

Roses used in last year’s ceremonies have been planted in the Kenry House rose bed at Kingston Hill, and this year’s cyclamen and ivy will be used to add colour to the main entrance at Penrhyn Road.

Lynsey Stafford, biodiversity and landscape administrator, said: “It makes perfect sense to buy reusable plants rather than throw-away cut flowers. Our shrub beds are sometimes in need of a little patch up, and these plants have been working brilliantly.”