HUNDREDS of thousands of poppies have been sown in a special garden at a wildlife attraction in Easter Compton to commemorate the centenary of the end of WW1.

More than 100 varieties, including the field poppies that grew in the battlefields on the Somme, Ypres and Passchendaele, have been sown at the Wild Place Project to honour those who lost their lives defending our freedom.

The project has dedicated part of its sanctuary garden to the extensive semi-circular poppy beds, and by June 24, midsummer’s day, it is hoped that the garden will be awash with colour with each flower helping to commemorate the many lives sacrificed in the war.

As well as the instantly recognisable field poppies, which are the Royal British Legion’s symbol of remembrance, there are a host of exotic varieties including oriental poppies.

They will flower at different times during the coming months - some yellow, others, white and some vivid pink and purple, as well as the instantly recognisable red varieties.

Wild Place Project gardens’ supervisor Andrew Harrison spent weeks searching websites and contacting specialist growers to find the different varieties of poppies.

He said: “As far as we are aware this is the only place in the country where people will be able to find 100 different varieties of poppies in one place.”

Having started work on the garden back in April, Andrew added: “The seeds have come from all over the country, from commercial seed suppliers and specialist growers.

“We waited for the weather to improve and for the soil temperatures to rise and we have now sown hundreds of thousands of poppy seeds.”

For more information about the Wild Place Project, visit wildplace.org.uk.