“ We have actually changed out whole topiaries overnight , and guests would never even know .”
PHOTOS BY ABBY RICHARDSON
“ The unique thing about these floating gardens is there ’ s a fabric inside them , inside the bottom , a felt-like material ,” Debbie explained . “ And then we have one piece we tie to it or put it through the holes . And that ’ s a wick system . So when it floats onto the water , it will pull the water up into the garden .”
That said , the team sometimes needs to access the plants — to trim them , take care of a diseased plant , or untether tangled floaters . That means boarding a rowboat and journeying into the water .
But Debbie ’ s favorite part of the festival isn ’ t in plain sight . You ’ ll have to look a little harder for the small pocket gardens planted around World Showcase .
“ You ’ ll find unique plants that you won ’ t see anywhere else if you get off the beaten path and see some of the smaller gardens , like the bonsai in Japan ,” Debbie said . “ The Bonsai Societies of Florida brings those in from around the state . Those are people ’ s bonsai that they ’ ve grown that could be 30 to 100 years old .”
For those keeping track , some of those bonsai have been around since the beginning of Flower & Garden — and will be around for many festivals to come .