The Marathon Road is a race of endurance that finds its roots in Ancient Greece when in 490 BC., the Athenian soldier Pheidippides ran to Athens to announce victory in the battle of Marathon against the Persians. This year marks the 120th anniversary of the first modern route of the race, and the municipality honored us by selecting Anigozanthos for planting in a well-known historical monument of Attica, famous worldwide, the Starting Point of the Marathon Road. At this point, thousands of athletes worldwide start to run in the most ancient and challenging race, the Authentic Marathon!
Why did we select these specific varieties?
The minimal care requirement and the extended flowering period make Anigozanthos ideal for the specific landscape as in the spring in the Half-Marathon and the autumn in the classic Marathon road, the plants will be in full bloom, impressing athletes and visitors! We needed bright colors to catch the eye and make our flowerbed stand out, so what better than Inferno’s red and Bonanza’s yellow? We completed the back planting line with Fury’s deep red varieties with “marathonian” endurance in the clean Mediterranean climate of the region.
How did we prepare the site for our plants?
We had a big challenge ahead of us as the point was untreated for a long time, and the result had to be equal to the global visibility of the sport. So, first, we removed the weeds and foreign materials in the area and then demarcated the site where the planting would occur.
What planting practices did we use?
We opened the holes by creating a circle three times the volume of our pot, and at the bottom of the opening, we put a little pumice for better drainage in the first days of planting. Unfortunately, drainage in this area is complex, so we tried from the beginning to avoid the stagnation of water around the “neck” of plants which will cause disease. We spread watering hoses and drippers for controlled water flow in each pit. We started planting by carefully placing each plant in its place, filling the space with the soil we took out, and pushing it thoroughly, so there were no gaps. We set the taller Fury at the back lines and the shorter Bonanza and Inferno at the front with their bright colors. In a brief time, the result was beautiful.
We covered the soil, hiding imperfections and the rubbers with pieces of pine bark. The light layer of pine stops weeds and helps our garden less maintenance. Before leaving, we added some stones to the surface to emphasize the decorative character of the park. A few days later, the first athletes of the Half Marathon took several photos next to Anigozanthos, rewarding our effort! We established the plants properly, and after the summer, they will be waiting for the big event of autumn in full bloom: the Authentic Classic Marathon, in which 18000 athletes from all over the world will take part!
