Disney is an expert at guest service, fine dining, and bringing families together! One unsuspecting item you can add to the list is landscaping! Our team got to experience the 25th anniversary of the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot at Walt Disney World this past month and boy was it fun. We recommend any Disney fanatic (like us), anyone with a green thumb (still us), or anyone who needs a vacation (everyone) to go visit the Flower and Garden Festival that happens every spring. Still not convinced you should go? Below are 5 reasons why you should!
1. Great weather! Believe it or not, Orlando sometimes has nice weather
2. Learn about eco-friendly landscaping methods
3. Enjoy great food from various countries in World Showcase
4. Get pointers on great DIY projects for your backyard
5. Sign up for guided tours of the festival led by knowledgeable guides
While our team enjoyed viewing all of the pavilions in World Showcase, we want to highlight three of our favorites!
English Tea Garden
One of our favorite pavilions for all things food and flowers is the United Kingdom! This year, we visited the English Tea Garden sponsored by Twinings of London. Throughout the garden, the landscaping consists of vibrant colors, color blocking, and various plants you can put in your tea, such as peppermint!
Canadian Pavilion
While the Canadian pavilion doesn’t have an official festival garden, the lush landscape can’t be passed up. I mean look at the beautiful garden! Whether it is the color combinations, the water feature flowers, or potted plants, you can’t help but stand in awe!
If you ever stop by the Canadian pavilion, you will notice they are not scared to go big with their landscaping. This garden uses various shades of dianthus and makes a HUGE statement!
The Honey Bee-stro Garden
An unexpected garden we enjoyed was the Honey Bee-stro Garden! If you are looking for a natural landscape, this is the garden for you. This garden used almost only warm colors with splashes of pinks and purples. Another aspect we loved about the garden was the use of different heights! Why stick to traditional landscaping and start mixing taller flowers in with the short flowers. A perk of using these flowers? All the fun butterflies that come with it!
If this is the type of garden you are wanting for your outdoor oasis, below are some of the flowers used through out the garden!
· Sweet alyssum
· Tupelo honey
· Bush daisy
· Strawflower
· “Bouquet Purple” Dianthus
· Plumed Celosia
· Red Fountain Grass
· Gerbera Daisy
· Coral Honeysuckle
· Blanket Flower
· Pentas
· Fern Leaf Lavender
Gardens of the World Tour
Can’t get enough of the Flower and Garden Festival? No worries! You can go on the Gardens of the World Tour only during the Flower and Garden Festival. The tours run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 am EST to 12 am EST. The tour costs $64, which does not include your park ticket admission. During this tour, you can learn all about Disney horticulture such as:
· The five principles of the Disney horticulture program
· The landscaping role at Disney
· How to take Disney landscaping home with you
· How landscaping helps Disney set the stage to tell every guest a story
· Gardening techniques
Living with the Land
If you head over to The Land located in Future World West you can take a ride on Living with the Land! This ride takes you through a gardening journey and teaches about sustainable gardening and farming practices. Additionally, all of the fruits and vegetables grown are used in The Garden Grill located in The Land! If you want to learn more about sustainable farming practices, you can take the Behind the Seeds tour. The tour is 1 hour and is $25 per person not including park entry.
