Zak Events created this dramatic centerpiece. (zakevents.com)

Last night a group of us from the magazine got all dolled up and headed uptown from our far West Side offices to attend the Horticultural Society of New York Flower Show Dinner Dance. The theme of the benefit evening was suitably dramatic (Fire & Ice) and so were the beautiful and even over-the-top table displays by some of NYC's most notable event planners like Bowman Dahl, LMD Lewis Miller Design, Renny & Reed, and Rebecca Cole. It was a treat to see all this floral splendor after our hard winter, and on such a rainy night. Take a look at a few of table displays here. I hope to be posting more soon.

The Horticultural Society of New York is an august institution founded in 1900 "to further the love and knowledge of horticulture through informative monthly meetings, formal lectures and seasonal flower shows." Now, the group focuses on philanthropic endeavors that use horticulture to give job training and mental and emotional healing to men and women who are incarcerated on Rikers Island and after they reenter society. It also works with adults with special needs and families in underserved neighborhoods.

Here is a recent story on GreenHouse, their Rikers Island garden program, in The Wall Street Journal. Their GreenTeam program assists recently released inmates to transition back into society and work with vocational training in horticulture.

This fiery arrangement is by Sebastian Li (sebastianli.net)

A beautiful and fragrant arrangement by Chestnuts in the Tuileries (chestnutsnyc.com)