Asked by Lovin Malta, Farrugia insisted that the dead plants will be replaced immediately by contractors at no cost to taxpayers.

The photo was notably shared by Movement Graffiti activists, who wondered how these plants would survive the heat of summer.

“What a sweet urban greening project…summer hasn’t even come before they all dried up,” the group said, asking for a cost breakdown.

“How much were tenders paid for this project, seeing as Marsa’s cost half a million euro?”

This isn’t the first time Malta’s green initiatives have fallen rather short. In 2018,  some 50 olive trees planted in Għammar Hill in Gozo were left to rot and die after being planted three years prior. More recently, freshly planted trees at Wied Iż-Żurrieq Belvedere were stolen just days after being placed.

The government has faced harsh critics over the years, with some accusing it of undertaking these initiatives as some sort of compensation for the uprooting of mature trees. In 2020, 549 trees were reportedly destroyed in the Central Link project, while activists staged a two-week protest to protect the greenery of Dingli. 

What do you think of Malta’s green walls?