Macy's Flower Show 2015
New York City’s iconic Macy’s at Herald Square is in full bloom!
This weekend, I participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony to launch the 41st annual Macy’s Flower Show. This year’s floral display, entitled “Art in Bloom”, runs from now through Saturday, April 4th. For two weeks, visitors can celebrate the season with a walk through a wonderland of colorful flowers and exotic plants from around the world.
Macy’s Flower Show also features a “Bouquet of the Day” showcasing garden installations created by leading floral and entertaining experts. I was honored to design the first “bouquet” of this year’s series. It’s a woodland scene of Easter blooms and whimsical animals set on a large yew tree log I had delivered from my home. You will be amazed at its transformation.
In addition, there are many special events and demonstrations opened to the public. For more information, go to Macys.com/flowershow. And, be sure to visit Macys.com/marthastewart to shop my wide variety of home collections.
I took many photos to share with you. I hope you enjoy them!
1 The yew log you see on the Hi-Lo was cut from a felled tree at my East Hampton home. It was so heavy, it had to be moved by machine to a large truck that could deliver it to New York City.
2 The giant yew log was the perfect setting for the display we created for the Macy's Flower Show. It weighs a lot!!!
3 Look at how massive the log is. Yew wood is reddish brown and very springy. Yew trees are widely used in landscaping and ornamental horticulture.
4 Here, the yew log is loaded onto the truck. Yew trees are relatively slow growing and can be very long-lived.
5 Once the yew log was loaded, it was well-secured and driven carefully to Macy's at Herald Square in Manhattan.
6 After the yew log arrived safely at Macy's in New York City, it was placed in its assigned space on the main floor - there was a lot to do before the store opened.
7 Our VP Creative Director of weddings and Style, Katie Berry, and Michael McCormick, our Weddings Design Director, started experimenting with the placement of the first plants, while they waited for the palette underneath the log to be removed.
8 The idea was to use ostrich eggshells to hold the flowers. Katie gently cracked each egg open with a hammer and nail. In some of the eggshells, we used mason jars, and in others we inserted plant liners and oasis floral foam. Ostrich eggs can grow to about five inches in diameter and have a texture similar to porcelain.
9 At least a dozen ostrich eggshells were used for this project. The eggshells were laid out onto the moss at our office first in order to strategize proper, secure positioning. It was then taken apart, packed up and rebuilt at the site.
10 After the moss and basket were in place, the eggshells were unpacked and put into the basket. Doing the preliminary set-up at the office first saved a lot of time.
11 The landscape was created using packing paper and bubble wrap before placing the layer of moss on top. It added so much texture.
12 The eggs were carefully positioned onto the moss as planned. It wasn't long before the eggs appeared to be "hatching flowers."
13 Once the basket and moss were set, Katie and the team started positioning the rest of the eggshells.
15 Added to the French tulips and sweet peas were daffodils, yellow ranunculus, muscari, and pink sweet peas.
17 The bunnies we used were from Hansa. Very soft and life-like, these wildlife plush animals are a popular hit among children. We hid six bunnies throughout the display. They were nestled in the crevices of the yew log and up in the basket.
18 Surrounding the bunny, we used asparagus ferns, maidenhair ferns, tree ferns, mini daffodils and muscari.
19 Each bunny looked quite whimsical sitting with the foliage. These bunnies captured the attention of anyone who passed by.
20 Hansa plush animals are handcrafted from portraits of real animals in their natural habitats. Each animal comes with a "teaching" tag describing the animal's history and lifestyle.
21 This bunny was a big favorite, especially with its floppy ears. We hid this one in a crevice behind one of the offshoots of the log.
22 Chartreuse colored reindeer moss was also used and glued onto little twigs to look like lichen. It is those small details that matter so much in a project like this.
23 We wanted it to look as realistic as possible. Moss is commonly found in moist, shady locations and is best known for its species that carpet woodland floors.
24 On the other side of the basket, lavender hyacinth was added to the mix of flowers. Isn't it such a beautiful spring palette of colors?
27 This bunny hidden at the foot of the log looked as if it was about to hop right out and greet you.
29 Here's a white Hansa bunny - isn't it adorable? It fit right in with the flowers blooming out of ostrich eggs.
32 Macy's created different floral presentations around the store to show the connection between fine art and nature. This "impressionist garden" was next to our magical woodland Easter display.
33 This collection was also part of the "impressionist garden." Early impressionists used bright brush strokes and color to demonstrate visual effect more than realistic details.
36 Here, a floral spring shower hung above the counters. Macy's wanted the Flower Show to provide visitors with a multi-dimensional experience filled with color and art.
37 Macy's is in the process of renovating their famous "cellar", so they covered the entrance going downstairs and added more flowers to give the impression that a garden grew from the escalators.
39 As you can see, the flowers cover the escalators in a way that makes it look as if the flowers were growing out of them.
40 The Mondrian Garden display showed the artistic genius and contemporary style of the Dutch Painter Piet Mondrian, who admired lines and colors and used them in his trademark "grid" paintings.
41 Greeting visitors at the front of the store is the show's centerpiece: the reproduction of the famed David sculpture in a garden with a series of pixel mapping floral images projected onto his alabaster body.
43 Here I am with Bill Schermerhorn, Macy's VP Creative. Bill was very fond of our magical Easter woodland. It will remain on display at Macy's until tonight.
44 The crowds gathered at the front entrance of the famous Macy's store. They were watching the floral ribbon cutting ceremony.
45 Joining me from left to right: Macy's VP Media Relations, Elina Kazan; Macy's VP Event Operations, Susan Tercero; Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of PRC in New York, MeiFang Zhang; Macy's GVP Event Operations, Mike Gansmoe; Macy's SVP Innovation and Broadcast, Joe Feczko; and, Macy's Coordinator of Event Operations, Danielle Dioguardi
46 Once the doors opened, I walked to our "Bouquet of the Day" to greet everyone who came to visit our display. It was a huge hit!
47 Here I am with our EVP Merchandising, Patsy Pollack, and VP Corporate Communications and PR, Claudia Shaum. It was a very successful event. If you are in the area, stop by and visit the Macy's Flower Show http://social.macys.com/flowershow/. You will not be disappointed.