A Sunflower Story:
A Closer Look at
Our Spring Windows
Celebrating Earth Day, and all things bright and blooming.
Pollinating potential aside, sunflowers are a motif with global significance. They are Ukraine’s national flower: a symbol of peace and resistance. To show solidarity, and to support the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, we will be donating £1 for every purchase made from the 2-7 May to Choose Love’s Ukraine Crisis Fundraiser..
With spring mid-blossom – and warmer days ahead – we find ourselves drawn to the outdoors. There’s a freshness in the air, and a vibrancy that never fails to lift our spirits. From parkland to pebbled beaches, riversides to rocky dales: whenever life gets overwhelming, we turn to nature, to ground and reconnect.
And so, this Earth Day (and beyond), we’re celebrating a plant that encapsulates everything we love about our planet. Enter the sunflower: a bloom that is equal parts vibrant, resilient, and joyous. Armed with an array of tactile materials, our store team set out to transform our shop windows for spring, with this sunny signature sitting pride of place.
And so, this Earth Day (and beyond), we’re celebrating a plant that encapsulates everything we love about our planet. Enter the sunflower: a bloom that is equal parts vibrant, resilient, and joyous. Armed with an array of tactile materials, our store team set out to transform our shop windows for spring, with this sunny signature sitting pride of place.
“It’s really quite a spectacular flower,” Display Manager Bryn White explains. "In fact, it's one of the key pollinators for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds."
It’s no secret that our ecosystems depend on pollinators. They help plant communities stay healthy and productive, in turn forming the foundation for diverse animal communities. Plus, fertilisation allows plants to bear fruit – which, to species reliant on these resources for food (including us humans!), is vital to survival.
“That alone makes the sunflower important to the success of our environment,” says Bryn. “But what’s more, they also ensure the continued health of our soil. By pulling toxins out of the earth, sunflowers help optimise conditions so future plants can thrive.”
Our windows are putting these pollinating powerhouses centre-stage (and bringing a little sunshine to pavements, too). The team opted to focus on a few specific shades: “the white and mood-boosting yellow palette reflects both flower and season, alongside lush green accents and the occasional pop of magenta.”
Then came construction. In keeping with the Anthro ethos, the installations are creative, eclectic, and purposefully abstract.
Then came construction. In keeping with the Anthro ethos, the installations are creative, eclectic, and purposefully abstract.
“This approach ensures that the flowers remain artistic and intriguing – the sort of display that makes you stop for a closer look. We’ve also tried to use materials in unexpected ways. Take string, for example. We’ve pulled it taught across looms, which makes the soft material appear graphic and striking. The petals are also being crafted from wildflower seed paper, so when it’s time to take the displays down, we’ll be donating them to a local community partner, to plant and grow future pollinator gardens.”