New York in Bloom 2011, part two

As promised, here are more images from New York in Bloom, the annual fundraiser that benefits the New York State Museum's after-school programs. I'm a big fan of New York in Bloom -- it's a sure sign that spring is on its way -- but I'm an even bigger fan of the programs, which have a dramatic impact on the lives of children and teenagers from low-income families. Approximately 4,000 young people have been served by the Museum Club (ages 8-13) and the Discovery Squad (ages 14-18). Every enrollee receives intensive academic support (adults help Discovery Squad members, and Discovery Squad members earn a small stipend for tutoring Museum Club members), goes on educational field trips, and does a lot of hands-on learning using the Museum's collections, and the teens get help preparing for the SAT and Regents exams, exploring careers, and visiting and applying to colleges. To date, every Discovery Squad student has graduated from high school, and 92 percent have been accepted to college.

All of the photographs in today's post were taken in the State Museum's permanent Adirondack Wilderness exhibit.

At the moment, a small section of the Adirondack Wilderness exhibit is devoted to abolitionist John Brown, who bought a farm in North Elba in 1949 and who is buried on the property. Perhaps not surprisingly, there were no arrangements placed anywhere near the panels describing Brown's life and actions or the handful of artifacts associated with Brown and his family; however, I found it interesting that most of the people who left comments in the notebook immediately beneath the panel asking whether Brown was a murderer or martyr were of the opinion that he was a martyr.

The section of the exhibit devoted to logging was home to many arrangements, including this small but arresting composition by Craig Walsh, Jr. of Fleurelite Floral Design. According to the placard next to the arrangement, Walsh used hala leaf, heliconia, crespida, echeverria, and calla lilies; however, I believe that birds of paradise were substituted for the lilies.

Cynthia Campbell of the Blue Creek Garden Club created a basket of gladioli, spider mums, bells of Ireland, hybrid lilies, daisy mums, seeded eucalyptus, salal leaves, amaranthus, and birch, curly willow, and red dogwood branches that simultaneously stands out from and fades into a mammoth black and white photograph of an Adirondack forest.

Two arrangements by Steve Dominiak of Surroundings Floral Studio complement rough-hewn men working with rough-hewn logs. They feature sunflowers, monte casino, pussy willow, aspidistra, cedar, galax leaves, and phimosa fern.

A better view of the second arrangement.

Simplicity can be compelling, as this detail of an arrangement created by Michael Harbison, Kyle Shiland, and Cindy Wood of the Bill Doran Company attests. Phalaenopsis orchids, reindeer moss, river rocks, glass bowls, a metal stand, and bamboo stakes are as arresting as the adjacent Adirondack fire tower.

Eryngium, leucodendron, liatris, acacia, green trick dianthus, spider mums, protea, and umbrella, sea star, and dingo ferns stand in front of the elk pond. This arrangement was created by June Keane of the Heritage Garden Club.

At top right, a Canada lynx. Front and center, an arrangement of pincushion protea, orange roses, yellow spray roses, preserved oak leaves, wheat, mugo pine, cedar, and mushrooms by independent floral designer Cynthia Weyl.

Larry LaMere of the Schenectady ARC created this arrangement of Gerbera daisies, tulips, lilies, spray roses, alstromeria, solidago, cedar, fir, and birch branches for the section of the exhibit relating to Adirondack geology.

A close-up of LaRose's work. Note the rocks along the edge of the planter.

This sweetly springlike composition by Holly Hemming of Felthausen's Florist is comprised of Gerbera daisies, snapdragons, yellow aster, tulips, lemon leaf, myrtle, pitisporum, birch branches, lemon grass, sheet moss, and Spanish moss.

Sophie Nagengast of Emil J. Nagengast Florist used sweet blackberry, African boxwood, foxtail, magnali, horsetail rush, curly willow, ornito, dendrobium orchids, Kilimanjaro Gerber daisies, hypericum, and French tulips to create this wintry arrangement set up in the hunting, fishing, and trapping segment of the exhibit.

Donald Bennett of White Cottage Gardens created one of my favorites: a simple, inviting arrangement of liatris, boxwood, heather, and iris.

Alas, none of my photographs do justice to this showy, fragrant beauty, which was also created by Donald Bennett. It consists of hydrangea, stargazer lilies, roses, pussy willow, quince, hyacinth, and dusty miller.

This sweet, understated arrangement, created by Jean Smith, sits in the section of the exhibit devoted to tuberculosis sanitariums. It consists of lilies, solidago, eryngium, ferns, greens, and birch branches.

Jean Smith and Cub Scout Pack 350 used solidago, pussy willow, monte casino, delphinium, daisies, and pittosporum to highlight Scouting activities in the Adirondacks.

Another favorite, created by Craig R. Waltz of Fleurelite Floral Design. This loon is swimming amid black pussy willow, curly willow, calla lilies, crespida, oncydium orchids, echeverria, and moss.