New York in Bloom, day three

Today was the last day of New York in Bloom, the New York State Museum's annual after-school program fundraiser. I wasn't able to spend as much time at the State Museum as I initially hoped -- life has a way of getting in the way -- but I did get to see all of the arrangements before they were taken down.

Today's post will focus on the Adirondack Hall, which is roughly equal in size to Metropolis Hall and is home to a number of permanent exhibits. I'm a little pressed for time this evening, so I'll create a separate post tomorrow to highlight some of the arrangements in the Bird Hall and temporary exhibit spaces.

The State Museum's western entrance features a huge relief map of New York State, and Margie Amodeo of Emil J. Nagengast Florist used tee pee, lemon leaf, Italian ruscus, bear grass, stock, Siberia lilies, and larkspur to create an arrangement that complements it perfectly.

Many of the exhibits in the Adirondack Hall focus on the region's natural resources. This logging display is enhanced by an arrangement of green hydrangea, white wax flower, pink heather, sweet William, fern, Norfolk Island pine, sheet moss, and branches created by Brian Schell of Bountiful Blooms Florist.

Part of a large Botanic Studio installation of bowls of succulents and bromeliads and glass terrariums housing a wide array of plants. This installation was a real crowd-pleaser; sadly, owing to the level of ambient light, I couldn't get a good picture of it in its entirety.

Audrey Hawkins of the Fort Orange Garden Club used hypericum berries, leucadendron "Safari Sunset," French heather, pincushion protea, solidago, alstromeria, and painted foliage to create a dramatic arrangement that complements the portable steam engine that sits at the outer boundaries of the logging exhibit.

Some of the arrangements in the logging section harmonize beautifully with the State Museum's permanent installations. Carl Derush of Maloney's Florist used birch branches, flowering almond branches, and lilies to bring verdant life to this large image of the Adirondack woodland.

Laurie Costello's arrangement of leucadendron, kermit buttons, yellow alstromeria, ferns, and dried mushrooms blends right into the bears' habitat.

Of course, not all of the arrangements recede into the background. Craig Waltz Jr. of Fleurlite Floral Design created a stunning composition of vandal orchids, anthurium, palm leaf, palmetto leaf, and lilies that brings to mind both Adirondack pines and Pacific island flora but certainly livens up an expanse of blank wall.

This sweet little arrangement, which consists of roses, lilies, pincushion protea, and bird of paradise, complements a small mining exhibit. It was created by Anthony Macarelli.

The Minerals of New York gallery is one of the most popular sections of the Adirondack Hall. This arrangement, which consists of lilies and some sort of grass, complements a specimen case beautifully -- and proves that one doesn't need tons of varied blooms to create an arresting composition. Unfortunately, the accompanying label vanished some time before I visited the gallery, and as a result cannot identify the creator.

The section of Adirondack Hall devoted to recreation features this arresting arrangement by Donald Bennett of White Cottage Gardens. It consists of roses, alstromeria, freesia, thistle, seeded eucalyptus, pine, and boxwood.

Immediately to the south of Adirondack Hall is a large gallery devoted to the native peoples of New York State. The mastodont in the exhibit devoted to the settlement of what is now New York approximately 12,000 years ago is a big hit with kids of all ages, and this arrangement by Pamela Nagengast of Emil J. Nagengast Florist was a big hit with me. It features French tulips, dendrobium orchids, calla lilies, lisianthus, snapdragons, larkspur, caspia, stock, foxtail, curly willow, flexigrass, Italian ruscus, and eucalyptus.

Janet Wierzchowski, Helen Lindstrom, and Marie Mueller of the Schoharie Valley Garden Club used chrysanthemum, daisies, solidago canadiensis, pussy willow, curly willow, fantail willow, Norwegian spruce, white pine, cornhusks, eucalyptus, and allium to create an arrangement that harmonizes beautifully with the Iroquois longhouse.

The Native Peoples of New York gallery features a wide array of contemporary Iroquois baskets, beadwork, and other crafts. This stunning arrangement by Terry Waltz of StoryTime Chinese consists of pussy willow, flax, and lily. It harmonizes perfectly with the works on display . . .

. . . and even features a Mohawk inscription spanning three of its leaves. Unfortunately, I don't know what it means; a scannable mobile code that directed cell phone users to an English translation was available, but for some reason I left my cell phone at home today. Any readers of Mohawk out there?