When Miracle-Gro came on board as the Official Rose and Flower Care Partner for the Tournament of Roses in October, 2012, there was precious little time to put together all the pieces that such a position requires. Included in the role is the honor of being the presenting sponsor of the post-parade Showcase of Floats event and entering a float in the 2013 Rose Parade.
With the enthusiasm of Miracle-Gro Vice President Tom McLoughlin and the expertise of Fiesta Parade Floats and designer Raul Rodriguez, everything is right on schedule. We dropped in on Fiesta on Friday and Saturday, and oh, what a difference a day makes!
The photo gallery attached to this article shows the progress in less than 24 hours on key components of the Miracle-Gro float, “Everyone Grows!”
Float designer Raul Rodriguez was at Fiesta Parade Floats on Saturday, with his ever-present macaw Sebastian on his shoulder. He told Examiner that teamwork brought the project together.
“No, I didn’t feel pressured or rushed,” he said in response to our question. “The group from Miracle-Gro are phenomenal.
“Working together, it all came together,” Rodriguez said. “They gave me a list of what they would like to do. The result reads immediately. That’s what it’s about.”
The result on any good float is that it tells a story in the few seconds it’s in front of viewers at the Rose Parade or on television. The story of “Everyone Grows!” is that anyone can grow a garden. It depicts people working around an automated greenhouse that transforms empty pots into blooming plants.
Rodriguez gave credit to the many professionals whose work is unseen, but is the foundation for a float—engineers, welders, screeners—as well as floral designer Jim Hynd, whose choices transform a design into a botanical wonder. “I’ve been watching the Rose Parade since I was a boy,” the East Los Angeles native said. “I’m honored to be a part of it.”
The theme of the 124th Rose Parade and 99th Rose Bowl Game is “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” The Tournament of Roses is a celebration that lasts several weeks in the fall and winter, with the high points being the Rose Parade presented by Honda and the Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. Keep following your Tournament of Roses Examiner for the latest news and for upcoming announcements.
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