A Carpet of Flowers for Pink Saturday...

This Pink Saturday posts definitely has lots of that lovely color, pink, as well as quite a few other colors. Have you ever heard of the Grote Markt or Grand Place? The Grand Place is the central market square of Brussels and it is one of the world's most beautiful squares. Every two years it is made even more beautiful in the most amazing fashion. Feast your eyes on the following pics...click on them to enlarge.

Every two years, the Belgians cover the square with a carpet of flowers. Over 300 square meters are covered with close to 1 million begonias! Think about that for a moment...1 MILLION begonias! WOW! The pattern this year (2008) was based on a medieval carpet design. The first Carpet of Flowers was created in 1971 as a way to promote begonias.

The blooms have to be kept fresh for four days in the scorching August heat. This is helped by the fountains that are designed within the pattern of the carpet. The caption for this pic reads, "Craftsman arrange the carpet by hand directly onto the square cobblestones without any soil. Grass and tree bark were also used to provide color."

The beautiful carpet forms a stunning centerpiece to the square. It often includes scenes from Belgian folklore and myth mixed into its intricate designs. For a bird's eye view, one can pay a small fee to take a look from the first floor of the town hall. Isn't this simply amazing?! :-)
Please visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for the links to lots more wonderful Pink Saturday posts.