Tournament of Roses

Picture this - little three year old girl huddled in front of the TV on New Year's Day completely enthralled by all the color, the shapes and the concept that a parade float could be completely covered in plant material. It has been my dream to see this in person since I was a very young child. New Year's Day on the Western Prairies of Canada is literally a world a part from the balmy golden sun of Pasadena.

This was the year - our whole family packed ourselves down to Colorado Boulevard to watch the whole thing. I was not disappointed. Beds of pavé roses, incredible sprays of oncidium orchids for trees and giant gorillas covered in green broccoli. Pretty cool. I had the overwhelming urge to get up close and touch though - and unfortunately I could not do it from the bleachers.

My over all impression really confirmed one of my own design philosophies - that brighter color has greater visual impact even in less quantity. This certainly applies to flowers and decor for weddings. Bright color goes a long way, while you really need substantially more flowers to make visual impact with a monochromatic classic palette. Bright color draws you in - it begs you to be a part of it - to get in closer and be vibrant.

So next time - I may need to drag my entourage down to Colorado Boulevard the night before so that we can sit on the road and get up close to the flowers. I'm thinking sleeping bags, hibachi and good reading material!