Last month I was lucky enough to enjoy a trip to New York. I was especially lucky as I was in town for the annual Macy's spring Flower Show.
Macy's in New York is known as 'The World's Largest Department Store' and is located on 34th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. There are many stores throughout the US and every year they have a flower show to celebrate spring; however the New York stores display is the biggest and the best!
The window displays are incredible with a riot of colour and often have poems, stories or words of wisdom to accompany the floral displays.
These window displays are amazing and it's true to say that the 'art' of window dressing is something that is lost in Australia. If you go to England, Europe or the USA a huge amount of time and money is spent on creating window displays that not only showcase the wares of the purveyor but also the incredible talent of the artists who create the displays.
At Macy's, flower arrangements are located through the store with major displays located at entrance ways in and atrium areas, however the biggest and best is saved for the main display with is located in, of all things.....a tent!!!!
A large temperature controlled tent is located outside the main entrance to the store in Broadway. It was a balmy 20 degrees C inside while the wind chill outside was a chilly -2 C !!! This years display was styled with an 'Indian' (as in the sub-continent) theme. As you can imagine it was a mass of clashing and contrasting colours with a multitude of blooms of varying sizes and shapes.
A you enter the tent your greeted by the sight of a life-sized elephant adorned in flowers and Indian finery. The walls are decorated with pointed arches and columns reminiscent of an Indian temple. A ledge above the arches is filled trailing vines and flowers which creates a tranquil hanging garden.
One of my all-time favourite plants and the one I've had the most success in killing is the beautiful Phalaenopsis Orchid also known as the 'Moth Orchid'. These plants bloom in a variety of colours from white through to dark reds and purples and can be solid in colour or spotted like the picture above.
And something I've never seen before was this incredible blue Phalaenopsis.
As you wander through the tent which is divided into a number of 'garden rooms' you come across the calming central fountain which is carved in white marble and surrounded by a mass of flowers such as tulips and begonias. I'm not sure what the blue flower is (can anyone help?) but it looks like a Cenatura or 'bachelor's button.
Macy's in New York is known as 'The World's Largest Department Store' and is located on 34th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. There are many stores throughout the US and every year they have a flower show to celebrate spring; however the New York stores display is the biggest and the best!
The window displays are incredible with a riot of colour and often have poems, stories or words of wisdom to accompany the floral displays.
At Macy's, flower arrangements are located through the store with major displays located at entrance ways in and atrium areas, however the biggest and best is saved for the main display with is located in, of all things.....a tent!!!!
A large temperature controlled tent is located outside the main entrance to the store in Broadway. It was a balmy 20 degrees C inside while the wind chill outside was a chilly -2 C !!! This years display was styled with an 'Indian' (as in the sub-continent) theme. As you can imagine it was a mass of clashing and contrasting colours with a multitude of blooms of varying sizes and shapes.
A you enter the tent your greeted by the sight of a life-sized elephant adorned in flowers and Indian finery. The walls are decorated with pointed arches and columns reminiscent of an Indian temple. A ledge above the arches is filled trailing vines and flowers which creates a tranquil hanging garden.
One of my all-time favourite plants and the one I've had the most success in killing is the beautiful Phalaenopsis Orchid also known as the 'Moth Orchid'. These plants bloom in a variety of colours from white through to dark reds and purples and can be solid in colour or spotted like the picture above.
And something I've never seen before was this incredible blue Phalaenopsis.
And below a mass of hot-pink hydrangea is surrounded by clivea which will bloom in bight orange, and delicate pale pink hellebores.
Passing through an arched wall, again topped with a garden of trailing flowers you enter what would be described as the spice market!
Bags of colourful spics compete with the flowers and add splashes of yellow, red and orange to the colour palate!
And just near the exit an array of pinks include azaleas surround a pink and green bormeliad. While below... red,cream and green striped Negoregelia bromeliads are surrounded by a mass of orange blooms of begonias, cliveas and gerberas.
And finally....a small thought....a message of peace and hope printed on the large window display pictured above with the peacock as it's centerpiece.
Time is a shifting perception.
Ancient symbol of immortality, the peacock,
preens amid the primrose, allegory of youth.
But look again. Those resplendent tail "feathers"
are concocted of palm, timeless sign of peace.
May there BE.
