Bachman's and Galleria resurrecting Macy's Flower Show tradition in Edina

Flower lovers, there's a new bloom in store. The downtown flower show, a rite of spring, is gone for good, following the closure of Macy's downtown store. But those who missed the event last year will have an alternative this spring.

Bachman's, the family-owned garden business, and theatrical designer Jack Barkla, who teamed up on more than 50 downtown shows, are now collaborating with the Galleria in Edina to create a new two-week "floral experience."

The public areas and entrances of the Edina retail mall will be festooned with flowers March 25 through April 8.

"This is exciting for us," said Dale Bachman, chairman of the board. "We certainly experienced disappointment [last year] from our guests, and from our team members. They saw it as a creative challenge every year. ... This is an opportunity to start something new."

"Spring is in the Air" will feature hyacinths, tulips and a wide range of springtime flower favorites, all being prepared to bloom early for the show to create garden beds, hanging arrangements and raised installations throughout the main-floor level of the Galleria.

The idea for the new event germinated after Bachman's and the Galleria both participated in a fashion show sponsored by the Minneapolis Institute of Art's "Art in Bloom" event last year.

"It was a little organic," said Wendy Eisenberg, Galleria general manager. "We got to know each other, and one thing led to another. We started talking about the possibilities last summer."

The show will be free and open to the public, with no tickets or reservations.

It won't be quite the same as the immersive experience of the downtown flower shows in the eighth-floor auditorium, but it will be similar to the two Macy's Flower Shows mounted on the first floor in 2007 and 2008, Bachman said. But moving the show to the suburbs comes with a bonus: free parking.

Kim Palmer • 612-673-4784