Athens Landscaping Lags Behind

Last-minute landscaping work is racing the Olympics' Aug. 13 opening date at the main Olympic stadium (pictured) and at other venues. Some areas are not expected to be finished in time.

Landscaping at Olympic venues in Athens is being finished late -- or not at all -- according to several reports on last-minute preparations for the games.

The cost of staging the Athens Olympics has grown to at least $7.2 billion, up from initial estimates of $5.5 billion, the Voice of America has reported. The biggest cost over-runs are for the sliding roof at the Olympic stadium and for landscaping at the main sports complex.

Due to last-minute construction, landscaping in some areas has been put on hold, meaning that bare soil will greet visitors. In other areas, trees from Italy were so hastily planted that their long-term survival is unlikely.

Some are giving Olympic landscaping harsh reviews.

?EUR??,,????'??Any efforts that have already been made at landscaping look like an afterthought,?EUR??,,????'?? Richard Edwards of the Evening Standard (U.K.) writes. ?EUR??,,????'??Trees (have been) thrown into the ground like javelins and lampposts stuck into the ground in holes only half filled with cement.?EUR??,,????'??

Despite delays, organizers say Olympic preparations will benefit the city for years to come. Improvements will include 120 kilometers of new roads, 290,000 new trees and 11 million new shrubs, the web site SupplyManagement.com reports.

The Games run from Aug. 13 through 29.