The LCSD is responsible for improving the environment of Hong Kong through the planting of ornamental trees and shrubs in public gardens and roadside amenity areas, and the preservation of trees. It maintains all public open spaces in the form of parks, gardens, sports grounds, football pitches and children's playgrounds, and also amenity plots and soft landscape plantings alongside highways and public roads. The services provided include landscape planting, horticultural research, tree maintenance and conservation. During the year, the department planted 60 000 trees as well as 2.92 million shrubs and seasonal flowers at these places and carried out landscape improvement projects for 32 hectares of park land and roadside amenity areas.

Hong Kong Flower Show

The Hong Kong Flower Show, an annual region-wide event, is organised for the enjoyment of the public and to promote a green culture in society. Participants range from horticultural associations and floral art clubs — both local and from the Mainland — to green groups, District Councils, schools and members of the public. The show has been growing in size and popularity every year. Apart from numerous pleasing landscape displays, artistic floral arrangements and colourful horticultural exhibits, the show provides many other fringe activities. These include talks and seminars, demonstrations, guided tours, musical and cultural performances, photographic and drawing competitions, horticultural workshops and family fun games. In addition, various types of plants and horticultural products are put on sale in a commercial stalls area. More than 110 local and overseas horticultural organisations took part in the 2002 show held in March in Victoria Park, attracting a record attendance of over 540 000 visitors.