Now imagine the impact of the float once seven tons of flowers are added. "There's a tremendous amount of challenge in creating and enhancing the float with flowers," said Jim Hynd, floral director of the CCF's entry. Mr. Hynd predicted the finished product would be "one of those really heart-throbbing floats. The shading effects of the flowers will create a very regal, majestic looking eagle."
Mr. Hynd gave us a crash course in flowers -- a fecundity of flowers. The float will be decorated with over 10 different varieties, many imported from distant corners of the world to embellish the Centennial float, including the forsythia, a long, yellow blossom grown in Europe, and the Oncidium orchid, a small flower grown in Singapore, and such home-grown accoutrements as corn husks and eucalyptus foliage.
The primary flower for the eagle's body and wings will be a chrysanthemum of a rich, gold, tawny color, fading into a cream-colored chrysanthemum, and a very white, crisp chrysanthemum at the very edge of the wings. The head and the neck "feathers" will be a very pure white (coconut chips from the Phillipines). Mr. Hynd describes the flower arrangement at the base of the eagle as an "explosion" of imported white and yellow forsythias.
The float will feature radiating lines of flowers emanating from the center in the front and rear of the float. The lower section will be rich, red Gerber daisies, and vivid orange-red roses. The higher elevations will be in lighter oranges and hot pinks, culminating as you go higher into the lighter champagne colored Oceania rose. "So the intensity comes up to a very light color, then this burst of yellow on top of that sets off the showcase of the eagle," Mr. Hynd explained.
The perimeter garden inside the framework along either side will be in large purple orchids and a profusion of red: Gerbers, carnations, and large Dallas roses in the center. The radiating stars and rod work supporting them will initially be covered in a very white rice (hungry yet?), then will be augmented by blossoms of the Oncidium and Dendrovium orchids and tiny white-button pom-poms atop the rays to give the radiating effect.
The entire framework around the deck will be in deep purple Dendrovium orchids called "Madame Pompadour," and edged with crisp, white button chrysanthemums.
You might wonder how all the flowers and foliage get attached? Seven different types of glue are used. It takes numerous shifts of volunteers seven days to accomplish the decorating.
Once the tons of flowers have been attached, how do they keep the flowers fresh? The float will carry on its underbelly 100,000 plastic water vials. This is no lightweight eagle. The combined weight of all the flowers, the plastic vials and the water will equal that of the float's steel structure.
Stay tuned for the 1995 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, January 2nd. Be watching for our float, "A Salute to America's Finest," with flowers that spell out "Chiropractic Centennial." The logos of all of the chiropractic colleges will also be displayed. Join the some 450 million people from more than 90 countries in watching chiropractic's inaugural foray into the world's foremost, floral extravaganza.
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