| EVENT REPORT 04.11.08 11:40 AM |
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| Bringing the Outdoors In |
| Trees, lanterns, working fountains, and park benches gave an alfresco feel to the Horticultural Society's annual flower showcase. |
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Tuesday evening at 583 Park Avenue, the Horticultural Society of New York hosted its Flowers & Design benefit showing off an array of tabletop designs that played up this year’s garden-party theme. Thirty-one floral and event designers, each given a table to embellish with flowers and decorative trimmings, filled the airy, open space with an array of outdoor effects.
The primary reason that Maureen Ferry, the Horticultural Society of New York’s director of special events, chose the venue is because it “feels like a raw space, even though it isn’t a raw space—it’s spacious and open with light-colored walls, and we’re able to get all of the tables on one level.” Ferry oversaw the event and worked with its design chair, former Metropolitan Museum of Art event chief Chris Giftos. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | Bridget Vizoso of the Designer's Co-op hung small green lanterns from a treelike structure surrounded by citrus-hued spring blooms. Small pots of peonies sat at each guest's place setting.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash |
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 | Fungi provided the base for Rock Shelter Landscape Design & Construction's woodland-inspired centerpiece. Designers nestled moss, ferns, and flowering plants between the mushrooms. Tiny pots of pansies and moss-lined votive holders surrounded the display.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash |
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 | Van Vliet & Trap's colorful table included a runner of bouquets arranged monochromatically in containers like milk bottles and watering cans. Silk butterflies topped each guest's plate and dotted the floral arrangements.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash |
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 | David Beahm crowned his table with a realistic tree bearing azalea and cherry-blossom branches. Spring flowers sprouted around the base of the trunk, which was also surrounded with green votives. A plaid tablecloth, rattan chargers, and bamboo chairs added to the alfresco look.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash |
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 | Designers added texture to Renny & Reed's centerpiece by lining it with rows of velvety lamb's ears. The three-level display contained tulips, ranunculus, daffodils, and other seasonal blooms.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash |
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 | Antony Todd created an elegant golden pavilion surrounded by cube ottomans. On the table, Todd used few flowers—only some cut gardenias floating in bowls—and pushed the gilded look with a shiny golden tabletop surface, chargers, and flatware.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash |
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 | Flowers, Sticks, and Stones' interpretation of a tree featured seed packets on strands of ribbon, hanging lanterns, and birdhouses. Colorful foliage covered the base of the tree, extending along the banquet table.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash |
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 | Celebrate Flowers' table had a large working fountain filled with dozens of flame-hued tulips. Wheatgrass and mini topiaries surrounded the base of the fountain.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash |
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 | The public squares of Savannah inspired Gotham Gardens' table. In the center of the table, designers surrounded a Spanish-moss-draped tree with a miniature park setting, complete with shrubbery and tiny benches.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash |
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| Horticultural Society of New York Flowers & Design Gala |
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Catering, Venue 583 Park Avenue
Decor, Design David Beahm Design
Decor, Design Antony Todd Inc.
Decor, Design Celebrate Flowers
Decor, Design Posies
Decor, Design Chestnuts in the Tuileries
Decor, Design Cornucopia Flowers
Decor, Design Flora New York
Decor, Design Katrina Parris Flowers
Decor, Design Gotham Gardens
Decor, Design Fiori Ltd.—the Art of Flowers
Decor, Design Mille Fiori, Flowers and Events
Decor, Design LMD Floral Events Interiors
Decor, Design Prudence Designs
Decor, Design Renny & Reed
Decor, Design Bowman Dahl
Decor, Design Van Vliet & Trap
Decor, Design Flowers, Sticks and Stones: Designs by Susan Edgar
Entertainment DJ David Chang
Lighting, Sound BML Blackbird
Melon Carving Hugh McMahon
Security GSS Security Services Inc.
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With a few exceptions (like Antony Todd’s golden pavilion-like structure), most designers went for literal interpretations of a garden party that incorporated alfresco looks. Treelike constructions appeared frequently, like the realistic tree trunk by David Beahm topped with branches of cherry blossoms and azaleas, with a base of flowers growing from the bark. Susan Edgar’s take on a tree used strands of ribbon and seed packets as foliage and decorations of birdhouses and lanterns. Tabletop accessories spotted around the event included miniature terra-cotta pots (used as votives), slabs of slate as chargers, lamb’s ear leaves as votive coverings and napkin rings, and watering cans as vases.
Three hundred twenty-five guests dined at the garden-decked tables on poached jumbo prawns and sweet-corn succotash with potatoes and field greens, followed by an entrée of dry-aged strip steak with green peppercorn sauce, asparagus, and thyme-scented Yukon potatoes. Dessert offerings included strawberry shortcake made with Grand Marnier and a selection of petit fours. The benefit, which honored interior designer Charlotte Moss, earned $375,000 for the organization.
—Lisa Cericola & Mark Mavrigian
RELATED TOPICS
Horticultural Society of New York, Flowers & Design, Chris Giftos, Charlotte Moss
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