Video Wednesday: 1st Ever Macy's DC Flower Show

I believe this is the first time I've incorporated a video that is not a Washington Gardener Magazine production or at least that I participated in making. I've made an exception for this one solely because it features the scrumptious Paul Wharton and also because I love the idea of a downtown flower show. Here is a bit more about the event which is timed to coordinate with the National Cherry Blossom Fest.

A NEW TRADITION BLOOMS AT MACY’S METRO CENTER WITH THE OPENING OF MACY’S CHERRY BLOSSOM SHOW


The spirit of spring is in the air at Macy’s Metro Center where, for the first time ever, live cherry blossom trees will take center stage at the Macy’s Cherry Blossom Show. From Sunday, March 27th through Sunday, April 10th, the Main Floor of Macy’s Metro Center will celebrate the era of renewal as it is transformed from a vibrant retail landscape to an unexpected floral wonderland complete with live blooming cherry trees. Visitors from across the country and around the globe will have the unique opportunity to enjoy this traditional sign of spring in the heart of our nation’s capital, regardless of the weather conditions outside.


This whimsical floral fantasy highlights the celebrated trees in partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Thirty cherry trees each week, ranging between 12 and 18 feet tall, will welcome both shoppers and arborists alike, elegantly guiding them along the main aisles of Macy’s Metro Center. At the culmination of the two week long celebration, 60 trees will be donated to the National Park Service, including 40 Okame trees with pink flowering blossoms, and 20 Snowgoose trees with white blossoms.


The Macy’s Cherry Blossom Show will also serve as a spectacular backdrop for two weeks of in-store special events, including fashion presentations, cooking demonstrations and musical and dance performances that will enchant floral fanatics while celebrating the rejuvenating power of the season.


Additionally, to get the public in the mood for the spring awakening, for the first-time ever, Macy’s Flower Show will scent its event advertising through a unique fragrance technology by partner Celessence™. The refreshing scent - a combination of lavender and chamomile, will give the public a preview of the lush garden smells that await their visit to the show.


For more than 60 years Macy’s has delighted generations of floral aficionados with spectacular presentations of lush gardens that showcase millions of live flowers, plants and trees from around the globe. Blooming in unison despite the various climates from which they originate, Macy’s Flower Show offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to enjoy these magnificent blooms together in an unexpected setting. With the introduction of the Macy’s Cherry Blossom Show, the cherry blossom trees that so vibrantly announce the arrival of spring in Washington DC are now an integral part of this long-standing tradition.


“Macy's 2011 Flower Show will be the largest and most ambitious effort in the show's history," says Robin Hall, Executive Producer of the annual event. "Our five flagship shows in New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis, and San Francisco with be joined by an all-new show this year, in Washington D.C., one that is being created as an extension of the National Cherry Blossom Festival." Hall added, "In the course of its two-week run, the Metro Center Show will feature a total of 60 pink Okame and white Snowgoose Cherries, two delicate species that are not part of the show in the Tidal Basin." On the D.C. Show, Hall concluded, "Macy's main floor will be transformed by this exquisite landscape of soft color punctuated with a series of beautiful Japanese Gardens."


“The National Cherry Blossom Festival has been working with Macy’s since 2008 and we are excited to expand upon this partnership,” says Diana Mayhew, President of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. “Additionally, as neighbors in the Downtown DC Business Improvement District, it makes perfect sense for Macy’s continued involvement in the Festival. We are certainly excited to see the cherry blossom trees bloom in-store. It is a great value-added element of the Festival.”


Free to the public, Macy’s Cherry Blossom Show will be open during regular store hours.


Macy’s Cherry Blossom Festival is presented in conjunction with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. For additional information about these events contact the Macy’s Flower Show Hotline at (212) 494-4495, or visit www.macys.com/flowershow.