Enumclaw Florist Wins People's Choice Award at Northwest Flower & Garden Show

The 50,000 to 60,000 people who were expected to have attended this past weekend's 25th Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle have spoken, and they chose a creation conceived and completed here in Enumclaw as the People's Choice Award for favorite display garden among 23 entries.

In line with the event's 25th anniversary, organizers gave participants the theme "The Silver Screen Takes Root ... Gardens Go Hollywood" to play with, and Mary Magalhaes of Young's Enumclaw Flowers and Gifts knew immediately where she'd take her creation.

"Singing in the Rain is my favorite movie of all time," she said.

Magalhaes started working on her display in December, sketching out a concept she knew would feature umbrellas, and worked with her father John Locatelli, a Patch blogger, to add a lamppost as a foundation that also recalls Gene Kelly's twirling and dancing and singing the iconic song. In all, it took the father-daughter team about two months to complete.

The light at the top of the lamppost does light up and is solar-powered, she said.

Magalhaes said she chose the color palate that features pinks and peaches prominently also recalling a scene from the movie which appeared brighter than most of the film.

Among the $100 worth of flowers in the intricate arrangement are Asiatic lilies, Alien veronica, Silver tree leucadendron, another type of leucadendron, green roses and proteas. Magalhaes, who is also the official florist for Tracy Castle in Buckley, clearly knows what she likes and what works.

All the flowers she used are also readily available for order through Young's, she said.

The arrangement has been touched by time and so some of the flowers have dried or shrunk, but it remains an eyecatching piece in the main window display at Young's for the time being. Mom Helen Locatelli said she'd be open to simply refreshing some of the flowers as needed to keep the arrangement up a little longer.

This was the second year that Magalhaes has submitted an entry to the show. In her first year, "I felt like a country bumpkin," she said.

No more of that.

Proud dad Locatelli wrote to Patch, "We showed that Enumclaw can stand and hold her own with the finest flower shops in Washington!"

Visit Young's Enumclaw Flowers and Gifts on Facebook for more pictures.

Plus read John's perspective on the win here in his Patch blog.

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