Tower of London poppy artist reveals his 30ft tulip tower exhibit

The Derbyshire artist behind last year's spectacular Tower of London poppy exhibit will unveil a 30ft tulip tower in the heart of the Chelsea Flower Show today.

Renowned sculptor Paul Cummins won critical acclaim with his display Blood Swept Lands And Seas Of Red - a sea of ceramic poppies which gradually engulfed the Tower to commemorate the First World War.

In his first major project since, Mr Cummins has created a sculpture of 2,300 hand-crafted tulips individually painted in red, black, white and blue.

Placed in the flower show's famous centre pavilion, the sculpture stands on a thick copper block and spirals nearly 30ft in the air, towering over thedelicately arranged floral decorations below.