Stop and smell the roses: Your guide to flora in Orlando this spring
The Disney resorts are famous for their flora and fauna. From the gardens around Disney's Polynesian Resort in Orlando, to the topiary that welcomes you to one of the parks, Disney gardeners are some of the best in the world. Every spring, when the world comes back to life, Disney welcomes the International Flower and Garden Festival to Epcot.
Gardening Experts
The Epcot Flower and Garden Festival starts on March 2 and runs through May 15. Every day, there are amazing displays by Disney gardeners all around Epcot. On weekdays, the Disney horticulturists and experts in gardening lecture giving tips on how to make gardens better.
But on the weekends the fun really begins:
HGTV
Starting in 2011, HGTV (Home and Garden Television) is sponsoring the festival. Each weekend one of the celebrities from HGTV will be at Epcot for presentations at Festival Center. Presentations will be at noon and 3 pm each day. A few of the stars scheduled to attend are Genevieve Gorder, Frank Fontana, Patti Moreno and Brian Patrick Flynn. There will be a different star each weekend.
Topics that will be covered range from Life, Love and Landscaping to Gardening with Kids: Fun Seed Starting Projects to The Art of Sculpting Space. Each weekend has a different theme.
Wait a minute, there's more.
Flower Power Concert Series
Evenings during the spring brings great music to the American Gardens Theater. After spending a day in the garden, what could be better than spending an evening rocking out with some of the best rock bands of all times. You won't want to miss this.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights all through the spring the Flower Power Concert Series comes alive on the American Gardens Theater stage. There are 3 shows each night at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45. These shows star rock bands from the 60s and 70s. These are all big name bands.
Scheduled to perform: Jose Feliciano, The Guess Who, Chubby Checker and the Wildcats, Melissa Manchester, Starship starring Mickey Thomas, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Junior, Juice Newton, Ricky Nelson Remembered featuring The Nelsons, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Davy Jones, Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone.
These are some of the true pioneers of rock and roll.
So how much does all this cost? Whether your staying at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando or Motel 6 over in Lakeland, the price is right. The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival is absolutely free.
It's a great place to stop and smell the roses.
–- Carl Trent of Dad’s Guide to Walt Disney World and Dad’s Guide to WDW the blog