Supporting Asian-American Community, Lewis Miller Gives Flower Love

By Jill Brooke

Among the many gifts, flowers bring is the ability to express sentiments without words.

To support the Asian-American community which has sadly been a new wave of xenophobia,   Lewis Miller surprised New York Chinatown residents with this Flower Flash sculpture.

Pretty isn’t it and we can all applaud the sentiment.  Nothing says to someone we care about your feelings like flowers.  Perhaps tag someone you care about with this story and send some love. As we say at flowerpowerdaily, no act of love is ever wasted.

Notice the yellow chrysanthemums that Miller used – which symbolize neglected love or sorrow as well as loyalty.

The chrysanthemum was first cultivated in China as a flowering herb and is described in writings as early as the 15th Century B.C.  As an herb, and later as a flower, it was believed to have the power of life. It was brought to the United States during colonial times and now is a cherished flower found in a rainbow of colors.

We have been fans of floral designer Lewis Miller’s Flower Flashes since he first started doing them a few years ago. With these spontaneous installations, he brings to life with vibrant blossoms the normally overlooked spots of New York City such as trash cans, phone booths, and fire hydrants. In fact, the Pied Piper of Petals has inspired other florists around the country to bring cheer through flowers in similar ways.

Hope that this effort today will inspire others around the country to show love and appreciation to our fellow Asian-American citizens who contribute so much to all our communities and culture.

Miller recently dedicated his flower flashes to New York healthcare workers, those,  “who give us hope and serve as constant reminders that there is true goodness in the world.”

And isn’t that what flowers do – remind us of the goodness in the world. For centuries, flowers prove that solace and bliss can exist and are a message of hope.

Flowers are also used as a way to express solidarity in the face of injustice or sadness.

In the fall, when chrysanthemums are at peak bloom, he and his team at Lewis Miller Design also created four fabulous four Flower Flashes in honor of 9/11.

They included a “quirky smokestack overrun with daisies and marigolds, a bus stop draped in giant happy sunflowers and a secret garden bench where someone can remember a loved one.”

I love how he put up a display of roses and delphiniums to literally create a blanket of comfort for anyone sitting on the bench remembering their loved one since grief is so privately felt. The flowers act as a silent companion.

So today shower someone with affection shared by either words or deed. You may not be able to do it the Lewis Miller way – but find your way.

Jill Brooke is a former CNN correspondent, Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is an author and the editorial director of FPD.