Yard Crashers, the popular DIY Network show, brought magic to the 2009 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, blending outdoor design with Disney’s floral artistry. Hosted by Ahmed Hassan, the show typically surprises homeowners with stunning yard makeovers. In a unique twist, Disney collaborated with Yard Crashers to bring the show to Walt Disney World. Turning EPCOT into a 300-acre garden oasis of opportunity.
This special episode featured Howard, Julie Callendar, and their two teenage sons, Ian and Drake, from Orangevale, California. The family worked with Ahmed Hassan and Disney’s team of 300 horticulturists to help prepare EPCOT for the festival. The park was transformed with 100 floating mini-gardens, 45 towering floral displays, 50 Disney character topiaries, and 300,000 bedding plants.
“The treat for me is surprising homeowners with a complete yard transformation,” said Hassan. “But this Disney collaboration was extra special. I got to surprise a lucky family with a trip to Disney World to ‘crash’ the International Flower & Garden Festival.”
Hassan and the Callendar family helped design and build Lush Xeriscapes, a low-water xeriscape garden featuring a gazebo and a big-screen TV. Located in EPCOT’s Imagination Walkways, the garden educated park guests on creating water-saving landscapes.
With help from Disney’s horticulture team, Hassan brought the Yard Crashers magic to EPCOT, giving festival visitors a chance to experience the perfect fusion of design and nature.
