Weekend, February 14-16, 2026 – WONDERFUL SCENES AT THE NYBG ORCHID SHOW
Iconic NYC Scenes from Mr. Flower
Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle at NYBG
WEEKEND, FEB 14-16, 2026
Untapped New York
ISSUE #1627
Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle Orchid Show exhibition turns ordinary urban scenes into extraordinary floral arrangements!We got a sneak peek at the newly opened exhibit, which features iconic scenes of NYC recreated as bountiful floral displays at the New York Botanical Garden:
See the city’s urban spaces transformed by lively bursts of flowers!
But then Alicia Keys and Jay-Z in their song, Empire State of Mind, called New York the “concrete jungle where dreams are made of,” a place where anything is possible for the talented and the ambitious. “These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you.”Now the New York Botanical Garden, in its glorious 23rd annual orchid show, introduces New Yorkers to Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle. And what a gorgeous, innovative, endearing jungle it is. MFF, as Mr. Flower Fantastic prefers to be called, maintains his anonymity with a cap, dark glasses, rubber gloves, and the gas mask that he needs for his severe pollen allergies. A self-taught floral artist, MFF developed his love for flowers growing up in Queens, tending to his mother’s garden.
The first art you’ll see on entering the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is a brownstone, covered in pink, fuchsia, and white orchids of the genus Phalaenopsis, says the NYBG. Frequently called the moth orchid, this flower that many of us have in our homes should not be disdained, says Marc Hachadourian, curator and manager of the garden’s Nolen Greenhouses. It likes the conditions we like—moderate light, humidity, and temperature—making it easy to grow and thrive. And thrive it certainly does in this orchid’s show. Hachadourian also says that the living orchids are not harmed by their lavish display over Mr. Flower’s “icons of everyday” New York life.
It may not be an object of beauty to you, but to Mr. Flower Fantastic, the classic New York trash can is to be cherished and planted with orchids.
How could New York function without the dumpster, that ubiquitous receptacle for construction debris and household trash?
This is one adorable car wash, with an adorable, carnation-covered yellow taxi pushing in to be washed. The current taxi was inspired by a previous installation, Taxi!!!, at the Queens Botanical Garden. MFF says that his tribute to the yellow cab “embodies diversity, tenacity, imagination, and brilliance.”
What can one say? Without their neighborhood pizzeria, many New Yorkers would starve. Here, for 99 cents a slice, you can get a Margherita, Pepperoni, or Neapolitan pizza with orchid toppings.
Reflecting the turmoil in the newspaper industry, newsstands are closing all over New York. But Mr. Flower Fantastic’s orchid-covered newsstand has a customer who is pondering picking up one of the guides to orchid care.
One of the many joys of the annual orchid show is that regulars often dress up for the event. Here, Lauren Fuller, a social media influencer with the handle @node.mama, poses beautifully with cascading orchids. Lauren began her career in NYBG’s cultivators program, which gives social media influencers access to the garden’s grounds, as well as behind-the-scene tours. “Then we put everything up on social media,” says Lauren, “to get everyone excited about NYBG.
CREDITS
Julia Vitullo-Martin
NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
All image are copyrighted (c) Roosevelt Island Historical Society unless otherwise indicated
THIS PUBLICATION FUNDED BY DISCRETIONARY FUNDS FROM CITY COUNCIL MEMBER JULIE MENIN & ROOSEVELT ISLAND OPERATING CORPORATION PUBLIC PURPOSE FUNDS.
Copyright © 2026 Roosevelt Island Historical Society, All rights reserved.Our mailing address is:
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