A sea of memorial poppies ahead of Remembrance Day on November 11 appeared at the entrance to Hamilton over the weekend.

The installation created by artist Nicky Gurret at the Crow Lane roundabout was hailed as “eye-popping” by the Department of Parks.

The red poppies pay tribute to those who gave their lives in wars, under the theme “Remember for ever”.

Ms Gurret’s design used about 1,000 plastic bottles, including donations from Butterfield and Vallis, that were painted red and attached to green sticks.

The internationally acclaimed floral artist recreated a field of the flowers, which are linked with the Armistice Day of November 11, 1918, at the end of the First World War.

Ms Gurret said: “Not only is the exhibit to remember for ever those who died in wars, but to alert the public that plastic is also for ever.

“According to the World Wildlife Fund, a plastic water bottle takes 450 years to decompose.”

She approached Parks in 2021 with the design, which was approved but delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The display is expected to remain up for two to three weeks.

The department said: “We quickly granted Ms Gurret’s request due to the creativity and sense of reflection her display would convey as we’re about to mark Remembrance Day.

“Her theme’s dual message of environmental sustainability is also fitting as government continues to move forward with its strategy to eliminate single-use plastics.

“Some of Ms Gurret’s past creations for our department include The Natural Heart and Connections exhibits for the Somerset Railway Trail.

“She is no stranger to installations at the Crow Lane roundabout, where in 2020, she created and installed a display entitled Transformations which was comprised of more than 500 blue butterflies made from aluminium soda cans.”