Brussels in Bloom

Brussels in bloom

The annual Carpet of Flowers in the Grand-Place, Brussels

Close to a million begonia flowers were used to create the 300 square meters carpet this week. The pattern is based on a medieval carpet design. Craftsmen arrange the carpet by hand, directly onto the square's cobblestones, without any soil. Grass and tree bark were also used to provide color. The first Carpet of Flowers was created in 1971 as a way to promote begonias. Each square meter of ground contains more than 300 flowers.