Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival

Fun Facts Flourish Across Landscape of 13th Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Four romantic topiaries of classic Disney couples add new floral finesse to the 13th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival April 21-June 11 at Walt Disney World Resort. Among this year's fun festival facts:

* 30 million blooms dress the park throughout the festival, which runs seven colorful weeks.

* As part of this year's romance theme, 50 hearts -- some floral, some not -- are hidden throughout the festival landscaping. Guests can get tips for finding the hearts when they stop by the Festival Center.

* An elaborate Donald Duck and Daisy Duck "tunnel of love" topiary greets guests at the park entrance -- look for one of the 50 hidden hearts around the topiary.

* More than 70 topiaries, including the new sweetheart topiary grouping of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Lady and Tramp and Belle and her Beast, are installed across park grounds for the festival. The four couples, displayed on a "Lovers Lane" from behind Spaceship Earth to World Showcase Plaza, are represented on new U.S. Postal Service stamps to be introduced during the festival opening April 21.

* 1,500 plants comprise this year's largest character topiary of Mickey Mouse.

* More than 500 native butterflies representing up to 10 species reside in Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden, a gazebo-type enclosure filled with lush plants and measuring more than 40 feet in diameter. Guests can stroll through the screened habitat to view the colorful butterflies. Among the garden's two dozen nectar plants are Cape Royal plumbago, passion flower, coral honeysuckle, blazing star, butterfly bush, scarlet milkweed and canna lily.

* 300,000 bedding plants are installed for the festival.

* Three butterfly topiaries are on display. Doc, Grumpy and Sleepy of the seven dwarfs appear at the Germany showcase with intricate topiary detail that includes beards of palm fiber. Perfume bottle topiaries represent Guerlain perfumes in the Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion.

* At least 25 different plants, grasses and mosses of various colors, including pink and red begonias, dusty miller, palm fiber, palm seeds, ficus and lichen, are used to create and define features of the festival topiaries. More color has been added to the topiaries than in any previous topiary presentation.

* More than 15 floral, herbal and spice ingredients of seven popular perfumes are revealed in the Fragrance Garden presented by Guerlain at the France pavilion. Guests can sniff the enduring fragrance Shalimar to discover botanical notes that include lemon, Arabian jasmine and vanilla. Components of six other Guerlain fragrances include mimosa, magnolia, rose, nutmeg and vetivergrass.

* Nearly 40 varieties of trees, plants and flowers are featured in this year's Ultimate Backyard Garden Party display presented by The Home Depot between the France and Morocco pavilions.

* Forty-five "flower towers" of impatiens line Innoventions Plaza.

* 80 floating mini-gardens of multi-hued impatiens, each three feet in diameter, provide splashes of color on two lakes that border the walkway between Future World and World Showcase.

* 750 container gardens of flowers, herbs, plants and vegetables in clay pots, barrels and urns enhance the landscape throughout Epcot.

* 300 horticulturists from the Walt Disney World nursery are needed to install the festival landscape, topiaries and many exhibits; 100 Epcot horticulturists maintain topiaries and other festival displays.

* It takes one full year to prepare for the annual festival.

* The festival's Flower Power is bolstered by thrice-daily appearances of musical hit makers of the 1960s and '70s including The Guess Who, Nelson, Davy Jones, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone and The Association.