Gardeners in Beijing are working furiously to plant 40 million flowers throughout the city in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics in August.

Workers are expected to plant 5 million pots surrounding venues where the Games will take place, China's Official Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.

Some of the flowers will be sculpted and arranged to exhibit ancient Chinese culture, while the majority of them will be put in the ground, the report said.

Zhou Jianping, an official from Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry, said 100 types of flowers that can withstand humidity and heat were selected to prepare for the possibility of extreme weather.

The flowers should all be planted by July 15, Xinhua said.