Two 400-year-old gardens in Valletta will be opening their doors for the public for the first time during the Valletta Green Festival, being held between May 6 and 8.
The Festival is a Valletta 2018 initiative injecting colour into an otherwise urban landscape.
The gardens lie in the heart of St. Catherine’s Monastery, a 16th century building in Republic Street run by cloistered nuns and the Archbishop’s Palace in Archbishop Street.
Both gardens will be open between 9am and noon and from 4 to 7pm during the three days of the festival.
Valletta 2018 chairman Jason Micallef said the festival offered a unique opportunity for families to visit Valletta during Mother’s Day weekend and enjoy these secret gardens in the heart of the city.
Now in its third edition, the festival again features the Infiorata, a large carpet made up of more than 80,000 potted plants, bringing a pop of colour to St George’s Square.
The infiorata this year will be a reproduction of the outline of one of Valletta’s early plans and its fortifications. The background design surrounding the outline will reflect an artistic reinterpretation of the grid of straight streets which characterise the city.
Environmental Landscaping Consortium chairman Peter Calamatta said the infiorata will feature more than 80,000 potted plants grown over the past 12 weeks at ELC’s nurseries.
Following the festival, the flowers are replanted in public gardens and green spaces around Malta and Gozo
On May 7, Tikka Banda sessions will be taking place between 10am and noon, while Charles and Friends will liven up St George’s Square with a mix of Blues and Jazz music between 8.30 and10.30pm.