The New York Botanical Garden annual orchid show has been running for 23 years, giving various floral artists the chance to display their work and talents.
This year’s orchid show was created by an anonymous man who goes by the name “Mr. Flower Fantastic.” His “Concrete Jungle” theme showcased his specialization in various forms of floriography with street-inspired themes from being raised in Jamaica, Queens.
The garden designer encased the intricacies of botanic beauty within the expansion of floral landscapes, contriving from the arrangement of orchids and other flowers relative to his approaches of floristry.
Mr. Flower Fantastic is known as an exceptional artist-gardener, with a virtuoso expertise of shaping a set of flowers into the daily common places of New York City. These artworks are now on display in a section of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. He is considered an unlikely floral artist due to his severe pollen allergy. A respirator mask and latex gloves have served not only for his safety but also as part of his artistic persona.
Mr. Flower Fantastic has previously worked private commissions and in flower trade shows, but initial traces of his uprising presence came in 2018 when he worked with Serena Williams’ team for her Nike “QUEEN” Air Max 97 project in a sculpture of his floristry. The final piece was showcased during the U.S. Open and became an influential cultural impact on the trajectory of his career.
Since then, he has collaborated with major brands such as Adidas and Louis Vuitton. Remnants of his passion seemingly aligned with experiences in his mother’s garden. He presented multiple NYC locations for his orchid show.
“Brownstone” featured a townhouse area in Jamaica, where purple orchids encompass the outside of a home.
In “Car Wash,” he depicted a scene of a New York taxi cab driving into a car wash. A variety of yellow orchids surrounded the cab, while the cab itself was made using yellow, red, white and black flowers.
“Laundromat” included different orchid species inside washing machines, which relayed a message promoting the use of “eco-friendly” detergent.
The NYBG presents the annual orchid show in the hopes of illustrating a message within its exhibitions toward its community, shedding light upon the small and overlooked areas of NYC.
For that reason, the show has been referred to as a love letter to the city.
“This is for all of us,” Mr. Flower Fantastic said. “This is the community garden. And it’s for us. This is our city. I’m grateful that everyone been here to enjoy it.”
The 2026 Orchid Show will run from Feb. 7 to April 26.