Valletta’s streets are turning green over the weekend with 80,000 flower pots and plants set up around the capital at the launch of the Valletta Green Festival on Friday.
A quarter of the plants will remain in Valletta once the festival is over on Tuesday, with the rest donated to local councils to repot in their localities.
The festival kicked off on Friday as Culture Minister Jose Herrera, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli and Valletta Cultural Agency chair Jason Micallef unveiled a flower display featuring a turtle in St George’s Square Valletta.
With the theme of zero pollution , Micallef said the eighth edition of the festival is the largest ever and included shrubs and plants along Republic Street as well as a small garden in front of Parliament in Freedom Square.
The Valletta Green Festival will take place between May 7 and 11, spanning City Gate and St George’s Square, the Valletta Cultural Agency said on Thursday.
This year’s infiorata, designed by artist Zack Ritchie will have the theme of ‘Zero Pollution’ and feature a colourful floral turtle.
Details were announced during the inauguration of a roof garden at the Valletta Design Cluster by culture minister Jose Herrera.
The Valletta Design Cluster, in lower Valletta near the Auberge de Baviere, was itself inaugurated recently.
The agency said the garden introduces a new green lung in this part of the city, providing a new public space, freely accessible to all residents and visitors.