The local council in Elche has started planting 25,000 marigolds across several of the town’s historic palm groves to prepare for the upcoming Battle of Flowers. The highly anticipated event, organised by the Gestora de Festejos Populares, is scheduled to take place on 12th August.
Work began on Tuesday, 2nd June, in the Hort de Malena and Hort de Coronela groves, where the first 12,000 marigolds were planted and lightly watered. The initiative will move to the Hort de Dins and Hort de Pontos groves next week, where an additional 13,000 plants will be added.
The project is expected to yield more than 100,000 flowers. These will be kept in climate-controlled chambers to preserve them until the celebration, which is a major highlight on the local festival calendar. The marigolds are planted in early June to make the most of the early summer sunlight, and they will be harvested at the beginning of August just before the festivities commence.
This planting initiative forms part of a broader agricultural recovery programme that the local government brought back in 2024. It combines festival preparations with efforts to beautify Elche and conserve its historic palm groves. Along with the marigolds, local sunflower crops will also be watered as part of the ongoing scheme to maintain, restore, and return these historic spaces to their traditional agricultural roots.
