Yesterday I went to the New York Botanical Garden with my friend Terri to see this year’s Orchid Show. While their shows are always worth visiting, this one is extraordinary.
The 2026 exhibition, “The Orchid Show: Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle,” captures the energy, humor, and visual rhythm of New York. Orchids cascade from a subway station and a bus stop, spill from a trash bin, and appear in other installations that accurately represent city life.
The designer behind the show, Mr. Flower Fantastic, is known for imaginative floral installations that merge street culture, fashion, and fine art. He keeps his identity largely private, letting the work speak for itself. His designs often feature unexpected references, from sneaker culture to urban architecture, all rendered in flowers. For this show he turned his attention to the story of arriving in New York and discovering the city’s rhythms.
One of the security guards told me she had spoken with him during one of his visits to the garden. She said the exhibition mirrors his own first experiences in New York as an immigrant. His father picked him up at the airport in a taxi. Their first stop was a car wash. Next came pizza, then a laundromat. Only after those quintessential New York stops did they arrive at their destination, a brick apartment building that would become his new home. These all take center stage in the exhibition.
That story made the humor and the everyday details even more delightful.
Today’s photos focus on the installations. Tomorrow I’ll share more photos – too many for a single post!