The show will go up. The annual Macy's spring flower show, that is.

For the past two years, the show was taken down a notch -- or seven -- when it was moved from the eighth-floor auditorium of Macy's downtown Minneapolis store to the first floor, where the azaleas, daffodils and hyacinths had to compete with Nine West, Kate Spade and Lancome.

But this year, the popular rite of spring will be back in the special-events auditorium, where it's welcomed winter-weary Minnesotans for nearly four decades.

Although he's always upbeat about the flower show that his family-owned company supplies, Dale Bachman, CEO of Bachman's, admitted he's excited about the return to the elevated location.

"What people want from the show is the feeling of being transported to another place," he said. "It's a feeling you get going into the auditorium. It's really going to be a great introduction to spring."

However, this year's show will lag behind spring, or at least the official start of it. Timed to coincide with the Macy's flower shows nationwide, it'll be held April 5-19. By its end, the snow might have melted and, who knows, we may have a few early buds. Still, the consistently creative display of hundreds of blooming flowers, shrubs and trees is unlikely to disappoint.

Until the plans are finalized, Bachman wouldn't go into detail about the "We Dream in Color" theme, except to say that there will be several gardens inspired by "various geographic areas around the world" and that color will play a starring role in each one. "It might be peaches and yellows and oranges in one garden and purples and whites in another," he said.

He did promise at least one surprise.

Want a hint? Think pink.