Wild flowers add golden hue to London Olympics meadow
Cornflowers, marigolds and Californian poppies have added a golden hue to specially-designed meadows around the Olympic Stadium in east London.
Wild flowers in the meadows, the size of about 10 football pitches, were selected by experts from Sheffield University to bloom during the Games.
The flowers were selected to support the Marsh Fritillary and Meadow Brown butterflies and Burnet Moths.
The meadows are set to become one of the country's largest urban parks.
'No mean feat'
Nigel Dunnett, of the University of Sheffield, said: "The Olympic Park meadows have been carefully formulated to flower at their peak during the Games, producing exciting, vibrant sheets of uplifting colour, with high biodiversity value.
"To achieve this peak performance, with a beautiful blend of colours at exactly the right time, is no mean feat.
"We are extremely encouraged and excited by the results from the sowings this year."
Olympic Delivery Authority Chief Executive David Higgins said: "The wildflower meadows, wetlands, woods and lawns in the Olympic Park will provide a green and colourful setting in 2012 and a new great park for people and wildlife after the Games.
"We are doing everything possible to ensure this is a great park for the Games and legacy and a showcase for British park design."