Intersex-inclusive Progress Pride Flag collage
For LGBTQ+ History Month, Chelsea Physic Garden is celebrating diversity in people and plants. Historically, the LGBTQ+ community has been referred to as ‘unnatural’, however, the ‘natural’ world has many characteristics that do not fit societal norms and binaries. For example, trees are known to change sex throughout their lives, and non-human animals have been recorded partnering up into same-sex couples. There are also cultural links between the LGBTQ+ community and the symbolism of flowering plants, which can be found in slurs like ‘pansy’, or ‘a dash of lavender’. As you explore this trail and learn about the fascinating plants and animals in the Garden, challenge yourself to think about what you consider to be unnatural. We are all part of nature, and so nature is invariably Queer.
Pelargonium display
This pride flag is based on the Intersex-inclusive Progressive Pride Flag, which combines the traditional rainbow flag with additional colours and symbols to highlight underrepresented groups in the LGBTQ+ community. The flag has been combined with artwork of the Garden's plants that have connections to the LGBTQ+ community. These plants have been painted by Chelsea Physic Garden's Florilegium Society.
Intersex-inclusive Progressive Pride Flag collage, Photo by Connor Butler
Intersex-inclusive Progress Pride Flag, Detail
Postcard and Guide booklet
The colour palette uses colours from the Chelsea Physic Garden identity and adds a violet to help signify a unique strand of programming in A Dash of Lavender. When tinted, the violet is used as lavender.
The A Dash of Lavender logo is based on the shield and crest of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries found on the Embankment Gate at Chelsea Physic Garden. The shield and crest depict Apollo, Greek god of medicine, who has loved both men and women. The A Dash of Lavender logo references Apollo in the face of the sun and includes two lavender flowers.
Plants included in the flag collage:
Yellow: Iris pseudacorus
White: Nymphaea alba
Pink: Rosa canina
Light blue: Linum narbonnense
Brown: Eriolobus trilobata
Black: Rubus fruticosus
Red: Taxus baccata
Orange: Crocus flavus
Yellow: Narcissus pseudonarcissus
Green: Ginkgo biloba
Blue: Muscari botryoides
Violet: Lavandula dentata
Chelsea Physic Garden
Identity design, Graphic design, Collage, Exhibition graphics
Chelsea Physic Garden Head of Education: Connor Butler