Environmental Landscapes Consortium

The Environmental Landscapes Consortium, usually shortened to ELC, has been working since 2003 to improve the landscaping and everyday maintenance of public areas and gardens in Malta. The work shows in the green verges, flower beds and roundabout planting that visitors meet on Malta's main roads.

The consortium is a long-running name in Maltese landscaping, and it is listed in our directory of garden centres in Malta because it grows and supplies plants as well as maintaining green spaces. It is based in Attard, on the road towards Mdina.

A public and private partnership for Malta's green spaces

ELC came out of the first public private partnership with the Maltese Government, which began to transform the landscaping and maintenance of public areas around 2002. Professional management, technical know-how and retraining of the existing workforce were the main ingredients, and the aim, achieved with green turf and a blaze of colour at the roadside, was to bring the approaches to Malta's main intersections and thoroughfares into line with those of other European countries.

The consortium is led by Peter Calamatta of Calamatta Landscapes Ltd as Chairman, Charles Polidano of the Polidano Group as Vice Chairman, Carlos Calamatta of Calamatta Landscapes Ltd as Director, Wigi Micallef of Green Supplier as Director, and Boris Farrugia of the Polidano Group as Director and Financial Controller. For readers curious about how local businesses are structured, our guide to Malta's corporate tax structure is a useful starting point.

Projects visitors can see

Six major projects were completed in the first year: Blata l-Bajda, the Qormi roundabout, the Mellieħa intersection, the Santa Venera clover leaf bypass approach, the Floriana memorial area and Castille. The wider project list is long and covers locations including Valletta, Floriana, Għudja, Mellieħa, Mġarr, Rabat Road, St Paul's Bay, Xemxija and the Upper Barrakka area.

Many of these sit on routes visitors use. Valletta's Upper Barrakka Gardens and the capital itself, described in our Valletta guide, are among the places that appear in the project list, as does the northern town covered in our Mellieħa guide. The consortium has also worked on festive lighting in Malta and Gozo and has taken part in events such as the Valletta Green Festival and a flower and arts festival.

Nursery, maintenance and recycling

The hub of the operation is Wied Incita, where the former Ewropa Nursery was turned into a production centre for the plants, trees and shrubs needed for ongoing maintenance and new schemes. It grows over 1.5 million plants a year, which are then planted out along highways and in public gardens. The central offices are on the same site, staffed by managers, field officers and administrative staff drawn from the existing workforce.

The accent is on proper maintenance, which is meant to keep standards high and improve them as staff training continues. Maintenance is planned for lasting results rather than a quick tidy-up. Stunted or irregular trees are straightened, properly pruned or replaced, and hedges and central strips are shaped so that the miles of oleanders across Malta flower for longer. Green waste that once went to landfill is now shredded and composted, then returned to the soil as an additive or as mulch to conserve water.

Planning your visit and getting in touch

Mdina, Rabat and the countryside around Attard are close to the consortium's base, so a call here fits neatly into a day exploring the middle of the island. Our Mdina guide and our list of things to do in Malta will help you plan, and the Malta weather guide explains which months suit outdoor visits.

If you are thinking of living on the island, our guide to relocating to Malta and about Malta overview cover the basics. To ask the consortium about a landscaping or maintenance project, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the business.