The Happiest Plants on Earth

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1 The Happiest Plants on Earth by Deborah Abrams Kaplan August, 2013 A Garden Life Take a look behind the scenes of Disney's amazing landscapes. Princess Tiana greets a Disney guest at the Disneyland entrance. The Mickey Mouse parterre in the background, a pattern made with flowers, is replanted up to nine times a year. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan While many Disneyland and Disney World visitors notice the pretty flowers and green foliage while ambling through the parks, landscaping is part of the bigger story Disney tells. And it uses the park landscapes as huge outdoor stages or sets with the trees, shrubs, and flowers playing the roles of props as well as stars, as Disney World horticulturist Debbie Mola Mickler says in a blog post. Taking inspiration from European formal gardens like Copenhagen s Tivoli Gardens, Walt Disney hired Bill Evans as his first horticulturist back in the 1950s. Evans turned the semirural and orange tree grove Anaheim land into another world. As the first Disney park, California s Disneyland, helped set the tone for the horticultural wonders we now expect, using landscaping to enhance the experience at each attraction and

Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan While many Disneyland and Disney World visitors notice the pretty flowers and green foliage while ambling through the parks, landscaping is part of the bigger story

2 land. At the Jungle Cruise, you ll float by tropical ficus trees that normally don t survive Southern California s climate. Forming a canopy, the ficus trees created their own ecosystem, giving them the consistent temperature they thrive on. Lush bamboo thickets, palm trees and variegated spider plants help set the jungle mood while you wait in line for the wild Indiana Jones ride. While most landscaping is carefully manicured, you ll find some overgrown roses at the Haunted Mansion, where partly neglected flowers add to the ambiance. Both Disney parks grow many of their own plants and flowers on site at behind-the-scenes green houses and experimental gardens. If you want to learn more, sign up for a two hour cultivating the magic tour at the parks, showing how horticulture is part of the story at Disney parks. Delve into Disney landscaping with four areas you may not know much about. Though Tomorrowland features strawberries, oranges and other edibles, guests should not eat them. They are sprayed with pesticides, and it ruins the aesthetics. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan Edible Landscaping Is Tomorrow Walt Disney spent a lot of time thinking about the future. This showed in his planning, like

Lush bamboo thickets, palm trees and variegated spider plants help set the jungle mood while you wait in line for the wild Indiana Jones ride.

3 the Monorail and Mission to Mars, and People Movers attraction. The future, though, involves sustainable living, something that strikes a chord with those of us who grow some of our own food. Even most frequent Disney visitors don t realize that some of every plant in Tomorrowland is edible. Disney s idea was to create a beautiful landscape which doubles as a farm. While you won t find Tomorrowland lettuce, oranges or broccoli in your Disney lunch, if you take a close look, you ll still have fun identifying what s there as you walk through. Should you pick some strawberries or oranges to eat? It s probably not a good idea. While some Disney guests do this, know that the park uses pesticides. Certainly you d want to clean the fruit, if nothing else. But they want to maintain a beautiful garden, and if the guests pick them clean (or make them look worse by plucking off random leaves and fruit), horticulturists have to swoop in for replanting. It s easy to see how an edible garden can look like any other colorful yet productive. As for trees, look up. You might find bananas, kumquats, avocados, oranges, date palms, olives, pecans, quinces, figs, apples and persimmons. The beds include herbs like basil, rosemary, sage and lavender, plus kale, lettuce, strawberry, cabbage and broccoli.

While you won t find Tomorrowland lettuce, oranges or broccoli in your Disney lunch, if you take a close look, you ll still have fun identifying what s there as you walk through.

4 California Adventure's plants are in sync with its themed lands and history. Wildflower gardens are interspersed with orange trees, a nod to the land that Disneyland Resorts was built on: orange groves. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival Each spring, garden lovers flock to Florida for the 75 day long Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. Whether you want to just learn about how Disney makes an English tea garden or get expert take-home tips on creating your own garden retreat, pay your park admission and get ready to learn. And eat. The World Showcase Lagoon features a dozen additional food booths featuring specific produce, in addition to regular park restaurants. Festival seminars highlight gardening trends and techniques, plus Disney horticulture traditions. Topics change weekly and may include hands-on activities even for the kids. Not all presenters are from Disney they include local and national gardening personalities who discuss growing orchids, troubleshooting tomatoes, urban beekeeping, gardening without waste and even botanical illustration. In between sessions, wander around and look at the 250,000 flowering annuals planted just for the festival. Spot the 44 flower towers, each 9 feet tall, and try to find the 1,000 native butterflies released. Like all Disney events, the park goes big, using 500 horticulturists for installation and maintenance. The 2014 festival runs March 5 to May 18, with seminars Friday through Sundays. Most events are included in the park fee.

Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival Each spring, garden lovers flock to Florida for the 75 day long Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival.

5 Graceful swans sit near Sleeping Beauty's castle. The menagerie of animals greet It's a Small World guests as they leave the attraction. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan Topiaries: Shrub Art If you make it to Epcot s International Flower and Garden Festival, you ll spot their 100 whimsical topiaries scattered throughout the park. But even if you miss it, topiaries are a staple of Disney landscaping. You ll notice three different types. Geometric topiaries are popular at rides like It s a Small World, where trees and shrubs are carved into clean shapes and designs. Shrub characters and animals are the next type. Again, the classic Disney ride is the best example, sporting a veritable zoo of green leafy giraffes, elephants, zebras and even lions greeting guests exiting the ride on their boats. Those topiaries are mostly a solid dark green color, pruned into the pattern. The shrub topiaries use a sculpted metal frame placed over the original shrub as a skeleton, taking three to 15 years for the shrub to grow in and mature, plus training to follow the frame shape. The sphagnum moss topiaries are a different beast, growing much faster and using a variety of plants for color and texture. While they re labor intensive, Disney horticulturists can prepare a finished topiary in weeks. Again, a steel frame is the base, stuffed with sphagnum

But even if you miss it, topiaries are a staple of Disney landscaping. You ll notice three different types.

6 moss and irrigation mechanisms. Horticulturists then plant vines and/or other small plants in there, pinning them to the frame and moss. They use materials like dried mosses, seeds and palm fibers for embellishment and facial features, pruning them weekly to keep them looking sharp. Photos by Deborah Abrams Kaplan

MagicBands WHAT ARE MAGICBANDS?

MagicBands WHAT ARE MAGICBANDS? Disney s FastPass+ service allows you to book advance reservations for experiences and attractions in the theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort. FastPass+ fully launched in 2014, and the service