The Gardens of Paris

When we visit Disneyland Paris, there is one thing that is very noticeable through the entire resort - how beautiful the landscaping is. The horticulturalist cast members work tirelessly to make sure the Parks looks beautiful and tidy for all us guests to visit. Just the landscaping around le Chateau shows us how important their job is - and how seriously they take it. Ryan over at Main Street Gazette has had a great look at the many gardens of Walt Disney World.
In Disneyland Paris the Nature and Environment Department has 70 gardeners who work around the clock to keep the 4,806 acres presentable, although the total team has more than 100 cast members. They have to deal with all sorts of things, such as weather, flower and tree rotation, and the park's opening hours. Because of the opening hours, a lot of their work is done at night - similar to the other Disney Parks throughout the world. There is also a team of about 10 tree experts, who look after all the trees on property permanently.

How much exactly do they have to look after? Well, there are roughly 5,020 trees and 59,400 shrubs throughout the Disneyland Parc, and 13,000 square metres of grass to cut! As for bedding plants - well, there's only (?!) 2,500 square metres of theme, and 5,000 square meters of bamboo. But don't worry - there's only 23 topiaries to look after. But that is only in the theme park alone - we haven't even looked at the resorts or surrounding areas!
To keep in line with the theming of the lands, the garden areas surrounding these different lands must be coherent. For example, the trees and grass in Fantasyland is more whimsical, curvy and fairytale-like. And those shrubs throughout Frontierland - especially near Phantom Manor - have a more wild feel, as well as being "dark and sombre".

Twice a year the flowers throughout the resort are rotated, with approximately 460,000 flowers planted annually throughout the Parc. The October rotation - which, of course, is at night - is the most important, as this is when bulbs are also planted.
There is also a special irrigation system throughout Disneyland Paris, the first of it's kind in Europe. Data is centralised with a computer linked to meteorological stations, which allows the watering of the plants and shrubs to be looked after appropriately according to the weather.

For those horticulturalists out there, some of the following plants are used throughout the different lands...
Main Street U.S.A. - Quercus Ilex (Holm Oak Trees), Hanging Baskets
Sleeping Beauty Castle - Cupressus Arizonica (the trees with blue-ish leaves), Taxus Baccata (the trees with dark green)
Fantasyland - Many flowered trees (Apple, Cherry, Pear), confiers and pastel coloured seasonal plants. Alice's Curious Labryinth (pictured) consists of Magniolia Gradiflora, arbor-vitae and large ivy leaves. Frontierland - Cacti, Austrian pines, Green Cedar, Hippophae Bushes , Senecio Bushes, Picea Pungens, Betalus Nigra. And in the Phantom Manor area, Chamaecyparis trees, and a pear tree.
Adventureland - Tropical plants such as Palm Laurel Bushes, Aralia Elata Bushes. Although many of the tropical plants in this area have to be replaced by evergreens in the winter.
Discoveryland - Palm Laurel plants, Araucaria Araucana Trees, Sequoia Giganteum.


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