What looks like a laundromat but is instead a bunch of mini-gardens featuring orchids is just one of the everyday NYC places covered in the flora inside the Haupt Conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)

The garden’s annual orchid show is a tribute to New York City from Queens-based native New Yorker and floral designer Mr. Flower Fantastic, also known as MFF.

What You Need To Know

The New York Botanical Garden’s orchid show is on display through April 26

It was designed by Mr. Flower Fantastic, a Queens-based floral fesigner who named the show “Concrete Jungle”

There are more than 8,000 orchids in the show at the landmark Haupt Conservatory in the Bronx 

“This year for the exhibition we asked him to write a love letter to New York City, so as a native of the city he wanted to feature the things that people would experience on a day-to-day basis. Things like a taxicab, a fire escape, a laundromat and even a pizza shop, all brought to life here in the conservatory,” said Zachary Leibovitch, manager of the Haupt Conservatory, the garden’s landmark glasshouse.

(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)

The show is called “Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle,” and it takes up the entire conservatory. There is a brownstone, seemingly floating in the reflecting pool in the palm dome, and a newsstand with some plant-based publications.

(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)

(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)

There are more than 8,000 orchids on display from the garden’s permanent collection and from outside growers, representing some of the 30,000 species around the globe.

“They are from everywhere except Antarctica. There are orchids native to deserts, there’s orchids native to the coast of California, there’s orchids native to the tundra. And there’s even orchids native to New York and New York City,” Leibovitch said.

Scenes from the city are everywhere. There is a bus stop and scaffolding and a subway station at Orchid Avenue, of course. MFF covered it all.

(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)

Mr. Flower Fantastic likes to stay anonymous and wears a mask and gloves because, believe it or not, he is allergic to flowers.

“One of the lovely features of this show is almost all of our interpretations is geared towards caring for orchids, so if you see an element of the show that incorporates water, we talk about water orchids. If you see something with steam coming out of it, we talk about humidity. So not only can you see orchids, but we have opportunities for you to learn and grow orchids at home as well and make them more accessible to you,” Leibovitch said.

The show runs through April 26. For information on tickets and special orchid nights, head here.