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By Samantha Chapnick

Apparently February showers bring March flowers, at least if you’re at Macy’s in Minneapolis, Chicago, San Francisco or New York, where the annual Macy’s Flower Show runs from March 16 through the end of the month.

Macy’s Herald Square — a short walk from many New York hotels — features 30,000 exotic trees and flowering plants divided into five enchanted gardens, including one showcasing purple flowers and one emulating a typical Spanish jardin.

Every half hour between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. there’s a 20-minute guided tour, and the work of numerous celebrities will be showcased. Martha Stewart will be at the opening, and Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade and others have been charged with setting a table as they would for an enchanted garden dinner party. Be sure not to miss the centerpiece of the show: a highly detailed reproduction of Macy’s historic Herald Square building assembled entirely from organic plant materials by the renowned artist Paul Busse.

If you travel to San Francisco, Macy’s Union Square store is zeroing in on just one theme: Spain. It expands on the Spanish garden theme by featuring Romanesque patio vistas, Moorish-inspired Persian gardens and striking floral landscapes, including the famed Gomes azaleas.

At Macy’s on State Street — near several major Chicago hotels — and at Macy’s in Minneapolis, the theme is Floranova. The plants, events and displays take inspiration from Latin-infused cultures including Miami’s South Beach, Mexico, Cuba and Brazil. There are guided tours by master gardeners, cooking demonstrations, family fun activities, and music and art as well.

New York Herald Square Show Gardens:

• Spring Garden: Features a vibrant array of tulips, daffodils, primroses and flowering trees and shrubs. Be sure to check out our newest addition to the show, Rhododendron trees.
• Conservatory Garden: Showcases whimsical plant topiaries and exotic and tropical plants, including citrus, coffee and cacao trees.
• Royal Purple Garden: Shows off plants in the purple and lavender color palette, including rare Chinese redbuds, a flowering shrub with hundreds of magnificent purple flowers along the branches of the plant.
• Cherry Hill Garden: Features a breathtaking variety of trees from the cherry, or Prunus, family, including tall Kwansan and contorted Okame cherry trees and flowering almond shrubs.
• Spanish Garden: Reflects the look and feel of a luxurious garden in Spain. Stroll through fountains, grapevines, blooming Spanish bluebells and citrus and Monkey Puzzle trees.

CheapTickets resources:

• New York hotels
• Union Square hotels
  
• Chicago hotels
  
• Minneapolis hotels