Carpet of Flowers

The other day while I was looking at some 'step by step' photos on how to make a Decahedron Himmeli Mobile, I scrolled down the page and became fascinated with a photo that didn't have anything to do with Decahedron mobiles.  It was a photo of a flower carpet in Brussels on the Grand-Place.  The huge, brilliant colored design was awesome, and seemed to be on a higher level than the ground people walking on.  Of course my attention was diverted from mobiles to what and how this display was created.

The photo led me to Brussels official web site where I learned the following about the flower carpet, its history and how its construction.  There is also a webcam focused on the Grand-Place which I plan to watch when the 2016 carpet is laid in August.

Every two years the Grand-Place of Brussels is covered with a carpet of begonias for only 1 weekend free to the public.
The first carpet was in 1971 on the Grand-Place.  It was the work of landscape architect E. Stautemans who was inspired by other carpets in diverse Flemish cities.  The peculiarity of the Brussels flower carpet is its place on the Grand-Place. It measures 77 meters by 24 meters. 

The carpet is planned one year in advance.  A committee of non-profit illustrators, graphic designers and landscape architects plan each edition around a theme.  Scale reproductions of the subject is realized in several project stages.  Quantity and number of flowers, and combinations of color are determined.  Shapes and colors of cut flowers are calculated in the hundreds and thousands and reserved long in advance.  A life size drawing is put on a transparent plastic sheet. 

On the day before opening, the spaces between flower motifs are filled in with rolls of sod.  When the carpet is laid, 120 volunteers install the million begonias within 4 hours.  Each edition has a composed musical theme and concerts are played every evening, accompanied by a light show and fireworks. 

The fragrant tuberous begonias used in the display are native from the West Indies and resistant to all weather conditions, intense sun, violent winds, rain, and cold.  The colors range from vivid to delicate pastels.  When the carpet is made, they are placed close together, (300 per square meter) to prevent then from being blown away.  They create their own micro-climate.  If there is a heat wave, the sod is watered to prevent wilting.  If the weather is too wet, the grass grows 4 to 5 centimeters within 3 days and the flowers remain fresh, preserving their splendor during the 4 days of display. 

The 20th edition in 2016 is scheduled for Friday August 12 to Monday August 15.  It will celebrate 150 years of diplomatic relations and friendship with Japan.  Brussels Grand-Place is considered the most beautiful central square in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Its construction commenced in the 15th century.  It was razed after 3 full days of bombardment by the French Army in 1695, but was rebuilt in less than 5 years later.