Every species is a masterpiece
Beautiful English rose, we claim you as our own;
Bouquets clashed to place you on our throne.
Plucked from China, in every rainbow shade,
Your sweet perfume makes us forget where you were made.
A foreign masterpiece to pollinate our land,
Forever a floral diamond in high demand.
So why do hearts wither for the ‘other’
that nature has designed?
Love should bloom for all of humankind.
You never come across an English garden filled with a single flower. We find beauty in diversity, filling our greenspaces with different floral species. We feel excitement when a new variety has been created or an unusual flower has been discovered. In Britain, 80% of flowers are non-native and even the English rose isn’t truly English. Yet our love for diversity falters when it comes to people. The rhetoric in Britain has shifted to one of xenophobia. Political rhetoric and policies have become increasingly racist, increasing community divisions and hate crime. Britain is a beautiful melting pot of the world, just like our gardens. Every flower offers us wonder, and so the diversity of humankind should be a source of beautiful inspiration.
Alexandra Lambert, Artist and Social Worker
Sana Iqbal, Writer and Strategic Graphic Designer
Instagram- alexandrageorginarose / sanaiqbaldesign
Twitter – sanaiqbaldesign