You have until Sunday, April 10th to catch the beautiful, bountiful bouquets on hand, that sit perched throughout the historic Macy’s in Herald Square. With a theme of “Towers of Flowers” the organizers went all out this year in disguising the world’s most famous department store with a cavalcade of floral arrangements unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

Even before stepping inside the avenue-long store, colorful window displays greet you on the duration of your march toward Seventh Avenue. Once inside, you are invited to partake on a free guided tour if the mood should strike. The 20 minute tours begin every 30 minutes between 11am and 4pm, and give an insiders look at what it takes to assemble an event of this magnitude, while also touching upon some of the more impressive arrangements.

With displays ranging from the south (Antebellum Garden) featuring magnolias and gardenias from Charleston and Savannah, to the far east (Japanese Garden) with bamboo and palms from Japan, to the beautiful tropics (Tropical Garden) featuring trees and shrubs growing near the equator, the exhbibit has an eclectic array of worldwide varieties. Without resting on laurels alone, Macy’s is also proudly presenting several special events through the exhibit’s conclusion. Some of the more notable moments include Thursday’s 1pm “A Tasting of Colonial Williamsburg,” a cooking demonstration inspired by southern American cuisine, while a simultaneous demonstration by the owners of Alice’s Tea Cup is presented in the Cellar Kitchen, also at 1pm. Friday marks a “Floral Seminar” from Julian Velasco, a curator from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, who will demonstrate caring for and training the bonsai at 1pm. Finally, each two day period will mark a special bouquet of the day from the country’s top floral designers. If names like Ed Libby, Olivier Giugni, and Preston Bailey don’t ring a bell now, they surely will after checking out their arrangements.

Fantastic and free are what LocalBozo.com brings you best. Macy’s of Herald Square has clearly found a strong bond between tasteful, eye-catching displays and the hustle and bustle of a Manhattan department store. It happens just once a year and even our incredible pictures simply do not do this event justice. This is one not to miss. For more information on this year’s event, check out: The Macy’s Flower Show.

- Jane Van Arsdale