Many of you heard that I had an opportunity to volunteer as a florist to work on some of the Rose Parade floats.  It was undoubtedly one of the most fun, tiring experiences I’ve ever had and I’m so glad I did it.

One of my instructors in the floral design department of the Ornamental Horticulture program at the Community College of Southern Nevada was Rick Crause.  He has worked for the Fiesta Float company for many years as the design florist for many of the floats they build.

He chose six of us who were able to attend the float building process.  We worked in a huge tent in Duarte, CA (City of Hope).  We had a smaller tent where flowers were kept with some cooler space and several refrigeration trailers. 

 

We arrived December 28, 2005 and worked about 6 hours.  During that time we helped process 6000 roses and did a lot of prep work on other flowers.  The next 3 days we worked 12 hour shifts except for the last night when we worked until everything was done.

 

As florists we did not do any of the seed application.  That is done by volunteers, many of whom are high school kids

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 We also did not do any of the “petal pushing” which refers to the single flowers in vials of water that are placed on the floats last that makes that solid bed look.  They are pushed into the sprayed on foam that covers the floats.  They bring those flowers in on the last day and prepare them by float and those are put on by a very specialized group of volunteers after all the scaffolding is taken down.

 

 

 

There were 9 floats built in the tent where we worked.  Rick was responsible for 4 of the floats.  We worked on those mostly but if we had “wait time” we also helped some of the other float builders if they needed floral designs done.  As florists we arranged anything that could be done off of the floats and then when it was time, we went onto the floats and did the really big design work that had to be done directly. 

 

I did a lot of work on the FTD float on the treasure chest, around the magic lamp and the green rose bouquets along the entire outside edge of the float. 

  

 

 

I also helped prep the thousands of purple and white phaleonopsis orchids and dendrobiums that were used on the back of the float.

 

 

 

I worked on the holly hock “blossoms” on the KP Beatrice Potter float.  We made those in wedding holders with orange roses.

 

 

 

 We also did the designs of tall purple liatris and daisies for this float.

 

I did a lot of work on the Newport Beach float especially on the very back where all the greens are and the pink anthurium and pink roses. 

 

 

 

I did a lot of work on the Rainbird Koala Bear float.  We prepped over 5000 oncidium and dendrobium orchids that were in the “tufts” high up.  Our instructor was up on the scaffolding and we made the stems however he needed them and handed them up to him. 

 

 

 

 I and another lady did a lot of the stargazer lilies design work, the king protea along the edges and the yellow banksias on the back and along the sides. 

 

 

 

 

One of our “wait time” projects were the giant daisies for the daisy trees on the City of Duarte float (ants at a picnic).

 

We had such a great time and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity.

 

 

 

The 4 floats we were responsible for:

 

FTD Aladdin float, “Your Wish is My Command” which won the Sweepstakes award which is the highest honor and is given as most beautiful entry with outstanding floral presentation and design.

 

Kaiser-Permanente Beatrice Potter float  “Magic of Good Health” which won the Director’s Award given for artistic merit, design and floral presentation.

 

Newport Beach “Sailing Through a Century” float which won the Leisman Trophy given for Most Beautiful non-commercial entry.

 

RainBird’s Koala Bear float which did not win a trophy, we believe because it had mechanical problems on the second day of judging.