Beauty blooms at Epcot

Southern Living, Apr 1997 by Steve Millburg

In a hurry, running late as usual, I shoulder impatiently through a stubborn knot of people-and stop dead. My grim face slowly relaxes into a smile. I have been ambushed by beauty.

Flowerbeds spread gracefully across a grassy hillside. Blossoms of pink and red and white and yellow sway slowly in the breeze, politely calling attention to themselves. I stand for a while, then move on, but slowly, lingering whenever the whim strikes. I don't care anymore about my schedule.

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will do that to you. It returns this spring for a fourth year at Walt Disney World near Orlando, reminding us to stop and smell the roses-and also admire the sunflowers, the marigolds, the geraniums, the orchids, and all the other floral blessings that we so treasure in the South.

You probably already recognize the joys of gardening or you wouldn't be reading this magazine. In fact, Southern Living has become a cosponsor this year of the Flower & Garden Festival and is producing a brochure that includes home gardening tips as well as information about the festival itself. It is available free at the Festival Center and the Epcot turnstiles.

As befits the "International" part of the title, the festival spreads primarily through the World Showcase area of Epcot-the ring of miniature "countries" that encircles the World Showcase Lagoon. The Canada pavilion, for example, contains the beds of roses and other flowers that so enchanted me. They're patterned after Butchart Gardens in British Columbia.

I keep finding new favorites. Dinner plate-size sunflowers stand at attention in The American Adventure. Snowdrifts of white bedding plants and perennials surround a brilliant-red poinsettia tree at Norway. In the Japanese bonsai exhibit, tiny buttonwood trees show every minute of their 100-plus years. A model train runs through a charming miniature Bavarian village in Germany. I recognize topiary characters from such Disney films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Pocahontas, dodge the playful sprinkler system in the Italian container gardens, and breathe deeply the subtle, mingled scents of the Rose Walk near the World Showcase entrance.

Disney gardeners gladly pause from weeding, transplanting, and fertilizing to answer questions. Signs supply additional gardening tips, such as: "It is best to cut roses late in the day when water and nutrient content is high and the bud is soft. After cutting, the stem should be placed in water and recut at a 45degree angle. Be sure some leaves are left on the stem to supply food to the opening blooms."

Workshops and educational presentations cover everything from "Hanging Baskets Made Easy" to "Gardening for Food Around the World" at West Future World, where agriculture experts give fascinating demonstrations of farming practices in less-developed countries.

This year's don't-miss list includes Celebration Garden at the Epcot Main Entrance, where a giant topiary cake, party hats, and gifts celebrate the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney World; Winnie the Pooh's garden party in the United Kingdom; and "Big Bugs" (sculptures up to 18 feet tall made of natural materials) at East Future World. There's more than enough to fill an afternoon, if not an entire day. Just remember to take your time. And be sure to stop by The American Adventure to greet Mickey Mouse himself-rendered in topiary form against a floral American flag.