Journey of the Tulip Exhibition. Tulip Time, Holland, Michigan. Photo courtesy of IGMPR
From May 1 through May 14, an immersive floral installation will open up to visitors at The North Carolina Arboretum. Bloom with a View brings thousands of blooms to eye-level with a variety of colorful planters installed throughout the Arboretum’s gardens, walkways and promenades. “We are welcoming spring in a new and creative way by producing a floral explosion of flowers that are displayed in a way that guests may not have viewed flowers before,” says Clara A. Curtis, senior director for mission delivery at the Arboretum.
Traveling exhibition in China. Photo courtesy of IGMPR
IGMPR, a horticultural experience design firm based in the Netherlands, is the lead designer for the installation, working in partnership with local printers, plant producers, woodshops and Arboretum staff. IGMPR has created displays like Bloom with a View all over the world. “Despite the differences between cultures, the appreciation for flowers—and taking selfies with them—is truly universal,” says Ibo Gülsen, managing director of IGMPR. “We have made use of the unique characteristics in the hard- and softscapes in the Arboretum and transformed them into an immersive experience. We have dozens of floral displays, using tens of thousands of ornamental plants and flowers.”
Bloom with a View is the second time IGMPR has created an installation in North America. The first was the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan in May of 2022, which Curtis attended and evaluated in anticipation of Bloom with a View. “Drawing from our experience and knowledge of how to present a large event similar in size to Winter Lights, we began to determine the circulation and placement of the designs,” says Curtis. “We met with local plant growers, sourced a local CNC wood shop, found a local printer at Western Carolina University that could print the quantity of print materials necessary, worked to develop a brand for marketing and sourced supplies.”
Presenting sponsor Bailey Nurseries is contributing their Endless Summer® Hydrangeas to the installation, which will showcase the newest varieties in this series: Pop Star, Summer Crush, Bloom Struck and Blushing Bride. Lifting these floral displays on raised beds enhances the visual and fragrance effect, stimulating all the senses. “You could compare it with a floral bouquet arranged on a beautiful vase on your table, but then a hundred times bigger,” says Gülsen.
The NC Arboretum is located at 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville. While the exhibit is on display, parking for the Arboretum will be $30 per personal vehicle, and provides access to all gardens, trails and indoor exhibits. For more information, visit NCArboretum.org.
