A gardener works in a flower bed featuring two Haibao characters at Shanghai Botanic Garden yesterday in preparation for the 2008 Flower Show that starts tomorrow.

Visitors to the Shanghai Botanic Garden will be able to see floral versions of Haibao, Fuwa, the Olympic rings and other Games and Expo characters at the 2008 Flower Show, which opens tomorrow and runs until June 1.

More than 4.6 million flowers and plants from 3,000 species will be on show.

As well as displaying flowers, garden officials hope to collect ideas from visitors for the flowers they might want to see at the Expo.

In one corner of the garden, a 2.5-meter-tall Haibao will wave to visitors. Dozens of flowers are planted around it, indicating the Expo theme of "Better City, Better Life."

Visitors will also find man-made "trees," created from waste materials such as beverage bottles and concrete pipes. "The work will raise the environmental awareness of visitors," said Cui Liping, a garden official.

The exhibition will be divided into four sections and will be spread over 300,000 square meters. Visitors can either buy single entry tickets for 15 yuan (US$2.1) or a 30-yuan package which will allow them to visit all four sites.

The Shanghai Botanic Garden is in the city's southwest at 1111 Longwu Road.