2023 Topiary Tour: Learn about topiaries at the Topiary Heritage Garden
In the back of the United Kingdom Pavilion at EPCOT is a new garden, the Topiary Heritage Garden, that gives all a little lesson about topiaries at Walt Disney World.
“Topiary gardening is the art of guiding living plants into ornate and sometimes even fantastical shapes,” according to the sign at the entrance to the garden.
The park contains a Mickey Mouse, an elephant and other topiaries. All provide examples of the different types of topiaries that are around the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival.
Let’s take a little tour.
When Walt Disney traveled overseas and discovered the stunning topiaries found in Europe’s grand palaces and parks, he dreamed of sharing this experience with Disneyland guests.
But when Disney asked landscape architect Bill Evans to replicate the century-old figures that had inspired him, Evans replied, “Walt, the stuff you saw will probably take us twenty years.”
Still Evans agreed to take on this process, and through his ingenuity and hard work, he crafted a version of the European topiaries in only two years.
With this achievement, the legacy of topiary in Disney theme parks began
Sign in UK Pavilion at EPCOT
The topiaries around EPCOT are part of the festival that is taking place March 1 through July 5 this year with live entertainment and more than 15 outdoor kitchens serving special menus.
Other stops along our topiary tour include:
