Where have all the flowers gone? Macy's

Now that it's officially spring, where are all the flowers? Until Mother Nature kicks into high gear, there's the Macy's Flower Show. The 37th annual event, opening Sunday and running through April 10, transforms the retail space into an urban botanical garden with more than 100,000 plants and blooms filling the main floor and Broadway windows. Some highlights:

CENTERPIECE

Enter through the main doors on Broadway and encounter three dramatic towers of flowers and greenery, each 16 feet high. On display in the main aisle for two days each are the "bouquets of the day,"

10-foot floral creations by designers Jorge Cazzorla, Jes Gordon, Kenji Takenaka, Ed Libby, Olivier Giugni and Preston Bailey.

ANTEBELLUM GARDEN

Designers have re-created the look and feel of a lush garden in the Old South, with palmetto palms, dogwoods, gardenias, magnolias and camellias.

JAPANESE GARDEN

Carnegie Hall's JapanNYC Festival is sponsoring a Japanese Garden, with small-scale pagodas, on the main floor, featuring bamboos, heavenly palms, azaleas, pines, cypress and mums. The Thunder Drummers of the New York Suwa Taiko Association will play at the store on opening day.

TROPICAL GARDEN

New this year, the tropical garden features plants including cacao, coffee, kumquat, mango, sugar cane, citrus, papaya and bananas.

MINIATURE GARDEN

This tiny garden, displayed at eye level, features mini roses, orchids, redbuds and daffodils.

TOURS

Anybody can see the show during regular store hours. But a docent can identify some of the more exotic species for you. Guided tours lasting 30 minutes depart from the 35th Street entrance from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Call 212-494-2922 for more information.

Macy's 2011 Flower Show

WHEN | WHERE Opens Sunday at Macy's, 151 W. 34th St. Store hours: Sunday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

INFO Free, 212-494-4495, macys.com