Where have all the flowers gone

The thought that occurs to me when I see this view of Union Terrace Gardens is that following the redesign we have lost all the flowers. However in reality they were never there, and it is my memory that seeks to deceive me. Previously the embankment was mostly grass, the Aberdeen coat of arms was both larger and more colourful. This was probably only in summer, and during the rest of the year it would have been fairly bare. Still  in summer it was a splash of colour at the end of the garden.