SMART NEWS ARTS & CULTURE

Thousands of Lego Daffodils Are Blooming in Britain

The brick-built botanicals celebrate the UK’s 2017 City of Culture

Correspondent

April 14, 2017

Feeling floral? No wonder—a new season has busted out in full bloom, and flowers are the thing for spring-spotters around the world. But in Hull, England, reports Mashable’s Rachel Thompson, another kind of flower is in bloom. Nearly 2,000 daffodils have packed the town square there—each made entirely of Lego bricks.

The floral display isn’t just a sign of UK Lego love. It’s a celebration of Hull’s designation as the United Kingdom’s 2017 City of Culture. The city—technically called Kingston upon Hull—is located in Yorkshire in Northern England. The City of Culture award is given every four years to celebrate a unique city and its geography, culture and people.

For Hull, part of that culture is art and community—and what better way to celebrate both than with a floral display in a public space? As a city official explains to the Hull Daily Mail’s James Campbell, the display was made to add a sense of fun to the newest public square in the city. Called King Edward Square, it’s a place for Hull’s residents to mingle—and thanks to the daffodils, it is now especially spring-like.

This is awesome! Love the @LEGO_Group daffodils that have sprouted in #Hull. I can't get enough Lego in my life @2017Hull pic.twitter.com/5de7OP36ZY
— James Hoggarth (@jameshoggarth) April 10, 2017

The bright display is the brainchild of Duncan Titmarsh, a professional Lego builder who is one of just a handful of professionals certified by the Danish company to use the toy bricks to create whimsical architecture and sculpture. Campbell reports that Titmarsh’s masterpiece used over 146,000 bricks to build the 1,700-flower display. And Hull residents can keep the daffodils alive indefinitely—they can buy the flowers on April 18 when the exhibit goes down in exchange for a donation to Hull nonprofits.

Thanks to the magic of social media, Lego lovers and spring aficionados alike can enjoy the flowers’ yellow glory. It’s not every day spring takes on a new form—but when it does, it’s sweet indeed.