Where's the Flowers?

[SeaCastle]

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

The Passport2Dreams log pointed this out, but hasn't the Magic Kingdom had more flowers than it does today? I'd imagine having less flowers would amortize maintenance costs, but having little green bushes simply looks minimalist. Here are some examples, with pictures from OrlandoParksNews:

Outside Exposition Hall

Faintly visible, but those aren't flowers.

From Jack Spence's blog...

That flowerbed is gone

In Tomorrowland

I don't have a good picture of it, but there were pots outside of Liberty Tree Tavern that instead of having flowers, were also replaced with green bushes.

 

[stlbobby]

The fact that this thread isn't named "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" sorely disappoints me.

 

[wm49rs]

Probably easier and cheaper to maintain the small bushes and plants than all of the flowers in those bed. Still, it is a little disappointing to lose that much color....

 

[Texas84]

Less water, lower costs, more eco-friendly.

 

[themoose]

Those are calladiums everywhere, which is Florida's signature plant. The summers in Florida are really hard on most flowering annuals. During the fall and winter, the parks definitely have more flowering plants. Yes, a significant amount of flowering plants have been replaced with easier maintenance plants, but its not as bad as some make it out to be.

 

[powlessfamily4]

Could it possibly be due to the drought that the southeast went through the last few years? I live in Georgia and I know up until this past summer you could pretty much forget flowers. The water restrictions were so tight that the bushes made it but the flowers were all dying. September of 09 brought the flood waters and we bounced out of the drought.

On the other hand, the southeast had a very frosty winter for the south. I guess it all depends on how the nurserys handled it.

 

[wm49rs]

Another thing to consider is the harsh frosts WDW (and the rest of Florida) got hit with this past winter. The new plantings may be a little more resilient to such temperature changes....

 

[unkadug]

Those are calladiums everywhere, which is Florida's signature plant. The summers in Florida are really hard on most flowering annuals. During the fall and winter, the parks definitely have more flowering plants. Yes, a significant amount of flowering plants have been replaced with easier maintenance plants, but its not as bad as some make it out to be.

This is the truth in the south. Calladiums add color just by being Calladiums.