Probably barely noticeable in St Ann’s Square outside the Royal Exchange stands a sculptured cotton plant bud, symbolic of the city’s history and its link to the cotton trade.
Now for a week it has been given a makeover as part of Manchester’s Dig the City event by David Jayet-Laraffe of Frog Flowers, who are in the business of creating innovative and contemporary designs using a wide range of flowers and foliage, containers and accessories.
David originally hails from France, studied floristry in Manchester and has worked for the likes of Jane Packer, Claridges, Selfridges and Gordon Ramsay.
The original fountain was commissioned by the city council in 1996, and from a shortlist of seven people,Peter Randall-Page’s design was selected using a fountain based on a stylised flower bud surmounting a circular granite base.
The fountain was opened by the then leader of the opposition, Tony Blair.
