A Floral Designer Is Turning NYC Garbage Cans Into Giant Vases

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQgbFdhAC2q/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lewis Miller Design</a>

NYC is already basically an in-your-face art piece about modernity, identity, and the amount of garbage humans can tolerate on a daily basis, so anything that lifts New Yorkers' spirits and takes our minds off of the fact that every square inch of this city is soaked in rat urine is a blessing. And no one is doing a better job of that than floral designer Lewis Miller, who has been going around the city in recent months leaving gorgeous flower displays in garbage cans, statues and anywhere else that inspires him.

Miller, who runs Lewis Miller Design (LMD) and tries to repurpose flowers from their events, had the idea for the project "knocking around in my brain for years." He told us he's "always wanted to gift the people of New York the same experience he gives his paying clients."

Asked what they hoped people would take away from the project, he said, "Smiles and a feeling of surprise and wonder. I don't think New Yorkers are expecting to see Alice in Wonderland wearing a 30 foot long flower boa on their morning run or while walking their dog at 6 a.m. New Yorkers are hard to surprise and hard to please, so if we can lure a childlike reaction out of them, that's a victory and a gift to [me and my team]."

Miller first kicked off the project in October 2016, when he and his team brought 2,000 flowers to the John Lennon "Imagine" Memorial in Central Park, and proceeded to create "a psychedelic halo of day-glo yellow, pink, purple and orange dahlias and carnations."

Miller wrote on his website at the time that the response was immediate and overwhelming, enough to inspire him to continue the project: "We had hoped for smiles, the ones that happen when you witness a random act of kindness. That was my goal, my vision. Create an emotional response through flowers. And in this age of social media, we saw the fruits of our labor and were instantly rewarded via Instagram! We got to see how our idea translated in real time with hundreds of selflies and photographs documenting the flowers throughout the course of the day. It was one of the most rewarding and gratifying 'events' I have produced."

As for how they choose where to flower flash, he added that he looks for "well-trafficked areas or places in the city that are visually appealing and have a sense of drama or a great backdrop whether it be with a bit of architecture or a beautiful, hand-painted mural. There is a lot of scouting and pre production that goes on. Believe it or not, many pictures of trash cans. Choosing the right can can be tricky!"

With any luck he'll soon take the project to the next level and start covering up Pizza Huts with daisies.