The city may still be frigid, but all was tropical with arrangements reminiscent of colorful, cascading lights at the Mandarin Oriental for the New York Botanical Garden’s annual Orchid Dinner, sponsored by Veranda magazine.

David Salvatore and Andrew Prince, with the flowers for sale.

The large-scale orchid arrangements by some of New York’s leading designers made this year’s fundraiser an event to be remembered.

The fundraiser for the Garden’s research collection included an orchid sale as well as a collaboration between the Botanical Garden and Veranda, wherein over 25 world-class designers ranging from the worlds of fashion, architecture, horticulture and literature each created an orchid centerpiece and table setting.

Ally Coullter

This year’s tables were designed by the following: Anthony Brownie Flowers & Events; Carlos Aparicio of Aparicio + Associates/Gallery BAC; Ray Booth of McAlpine Booth & Ferrier Interiors; Bowman Dahl Floral & Event Design; Cornucopia Flowers by Dorothy Pfeiffer; Ally Coulter for Baccarat and the Decoration & Design Building; Brian Covington of Ferguson & Shamamian Architects with Foster Reeve & Associates and James’s Daughter Flowers; Danielle Rollins of Gracious Living & Stylish Entertaining, and Rollins Ingram Architecture Interiors Gardens Lifestyle; David M. Handy of David M. Handy Events, Inc.; Frank de Biasi; FlowerSchool New York; Carolyn Gregg and Steven de la Torre; Byron C. James-Rodrigues for House of Oasis; Lewis Miller Design; Hilary Pereira; Petal Design Studio; James Rixner Inc.; David Salvatore for EDGE Mid-Century Designs; Roric Tobin for Geoffrey Bradfield Inc.; Selina van der Geest, NL-GB with Brett McCormack; Villanueva Designs; and, Hutton Wilkinson, Brett Leemkuil for Tony Duquette Inc.

Byron James-Rodrigues

Danielle Rollins

Ann Sacks and Samuel & Sons were this year’s design sponsors. Carlyn Englefield and Dan Dahl were Decorations Chair and Design Coordinator, respectively.

Following the Orchid Dinner, The New York Botanical Garden presents The Orchid Show: Chandeliers from Feb. 28, 2015 to April 19, 2015 at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. The centerpiece of the largest exhibition of its kind in the US is a star-shaped chandelier overflowing with hundreds of orchids.

Roric Tobin

Proceeds from the evening support the development of the Botanical Garden’s orchid research collection and work in orchid conservation. Plant specimens rescued through the Garden’s position as a designated Plant Rescue Center through the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) can be viewed year-round in orchid displays at the New York Botanical Garden.

Images courtesy of NYBG.