Giant tree sculptures tower over Birmingham 'super garden'

Crowds gathered ahead of the opening on Friday

By John Bray

BBC West Midlands

Giant trees which have been created as part of an urban oasis in the heart of Birmingham have been revealed in all their glory.

The 11-metre-tall (36ft) sculptures have been installed in Victoria Square alongside 6,000 plants and flowers.

Residents from 60 community groups have grown marigold flowers over the last four months for the event, which opened to the public on Friday afternoon.

PoliNations runs until 18 September as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, a series of cultural events around the city's hosting of the Commonwealth Games.

Planting work has been going on behind fences for a couple of weeks

PoliNations is one of 10 major commissions as part of Unboxed's celebration of creativity across the UK

PoliNations will celebrate how migration and cross-pollination have shaped Britain’s culture and gardens

Free activities will include yoga, Tai-Chi, garden tours, workshops, sensory experiences and talks by food growers and gardeners, as well as live music, dance and drag performances.

Organisers Trigger Collective said the majority of plants in UK city gardens came from overseas and that PoliNations celebrated "the cross-pollination that has shaped British culture".

"Migration isn't a recent action - it's as old as the rose, apple and lavender are to our gardens," said Trigger creative director Angie Bual.

"The PoliNations programme is the result of collaborations with members of many diverse communities and it's a true celebration of cultural diversity, individuality and self-expression.”

Visitors will be entertained by an evening light and sound show, the Sunset Shift

At the end of PoliNations, the garden’s plants and shrubs will be redistributed through local community groups

Members of the public will be invited to take a plant home with them during the plant giveaway on Sunday 18 September

PoliNations will play out across two main stages, with two festivals planned.

The Poetry & Performance Festival in partnership with the BBC’s Contains Strong Language festival will showcase the work of 22 poets from across the Commonwealth from 9-11 September.

And The Ballistic Seed Party will be a four-day finale celebrating self-expression with LGBT, South Asian, African and Caribbean artists.

PoliNations is a five-minute walk from the Birmingham bull, which has become a major tourist attraction after the Commonwealth Games

The programme includes daily garden tours led by Birmingham Botanical Gardens and lunchtime talks

Martin Green, Birmingham 2022's chief creative officer, said: “PoliNations is a fabulous collision of art, design and horticulture.

"And a dazzling start to the final month of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, as the buzz continues around the city following the Commonwealth Games."

Garden creator Carl Robertshaw described PoliNations as a "living, breathing, theatre"