The largest-ever Disney front-entrance topiary, an illuminated Haiti produce
garden with marketplace and a stellar cast of HGTV design celebrities boost the
flower power at the 19th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival presented
by HGTV March 7-May 20, 2012 at
Walt Disney
World Resort.
Disney’s gardening magic goes a long way when an eight-foot-tall floral Sorcerer
Mickey topiary holds court in front of the park’s iconic Spaceship Earth.
Standing atop a 12-foot-tall floral mountain cliff, Sorcerer Mickey directs a
riot of color in the manicured shapes of dancing broomsticks, buckets,
mushrooms, hippos, alligators and elephants straight from the classic Disney
film, “Fantasia.” The scene pops with pink geraniums, white poppies, violet
petunias, blue delphiniums and pansies.
In the World Showcase, the new Haiti: Garden of Many Colors next to the Germany
showcase is the first illuminated garden in the festival’s history. Guests can
explore the rich heritage of Haitian art, culture and refreshments in this
produce garden and marketplace presented by Haiti Originale, LLC, an
organization formed to support sustainable Haitian economic and social
development.
Twice daily each Friday through Sunday of the festival, HGTV designers and hosts share their insights on landscapes and design with Festival Center audiences. John Gidding of “Curb Appeal” kicks off the series March 9-11 with curb-appeal design tips for homeowners.
Music fills each festival weekend when pop music hitmakers of the 1960s and
’70s rule the
America
Gardens Theatre stage with performances of their greatest songs. Jose
Feliciano ignites the
Flower Power concert series March 9-11 with his treasure trove of tunes. Two
new festival acts are in store: Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dog Night (April
27-29) and The Orchestra featuring former members of ELO and ELO Part II (May
4-6).
Thirty million blooms, 240 floating mini-gardens on two ponds, 700 container
gardens of flowers, herbs, plants and vegetables, dozens of Disney character
topiaries, 30 “flower towers” of impatiens and sweeping beds of original floral
designs create a new tapestry of brilliant color across the 260-acre Epcot
landscape. It takes more than one year and 400 Walt Disney World horticulturists
to plan and prepare for the 75-day festival.
Halfway through the festival, Disney gardeners remove the cold-hardy blossoms
that thrive in March and early April to plant a new crop of flowers that
flourish in spring’s warmer temperatures. And throughout the event, dozens of
gardening experts meet guests daily with fresh landscape ideas for 2012. Daily
workshops at the Festival Center let guests dig into projects they can take home
at the end of the day.
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