As part of the Jane Austen Festival and the city’s entry in the 2025 Britain in Bloom competition, Bath has embraced its literary heritage through an array of Austen-themed floral displays.
Conceived to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth, the horticultural tributes embody both creative horticulture and community collaboration, involving volunteers, local artists, and civic leaders. The vibrant colours reminiscent of the Jane Austen Centre, which include plants such as lobelia, petunia, and salvia, create elegant displays throughout the historic city.
The floral tributes manifest in diverse forms, ranging from hanging baskets, planters along Union Passage, Northumberland Place and Abbeygate Street, to meaningful floral touches which bring Austen’s literary works into the gardens of Bath.
Shaped like an open book, the large flora display in the Parade Gardens, forms the centrepiece. Commissioned by the Jane Austen Centre and created by the Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) Parks Department, the impressive floral creation spans five metres across and is accompanied by a metal silhouette of Austen, made by local company Iron Art. The centrepiece includes some 3500 plug plants, grown from seed at Bath’s civic nursery. The plant choices, consisting of hypoestes, echeveria, alternanthera and pyrethrum were selected for visual impact, size and growth habit to suit the frame.
Austen’s legacy is intrinsically linked to Bath, and her influence forms the bedrock of the city’s cultural identity. The annual Jane Austen Festival attracts visitors from across the globe and is a prominent event in Bath’s calendar. The current floral displays will bemaintained and enhanced as the seasons change, ensuring that Austen’s presence remains in full bloom well into autumn and winter.
