Rose Parade 2012

December 30, 2011 — Almost four decades after Rex and Puncture Walheim worked to release a increased into place for the yearly Event of Flowers Celebration in Pasadena, Calif, the astronaut and horticulturist friends have arrived on one of the 2012 Rose Celebration drifts.

On Jan. 2, the Walheims will be driving on a flower-adorned flow designed to tell their tale about increasing up operating in the loved ones garden near San Francisco and "dreaming what could be." Provided by Bayer Innovative, the individual garden and garden organization where Puncture operates as a increased proper care professional, the "Garden of Imagination" flow was influenced by the parade's formal design for 2012, "Just Think about."

"As a kid, I would check out the air carriers fly over my home in San Carlos, Florida and 'just imagine' what it would be like to fly and be engaged in flying," Rex, a NASA astronaut who has traveled three periods, such as as aspect of one more place taxi team, informed collectSPACE.com in an appointment. "I also study guides about place and thought what it would be like to fly in place."

"That began the procedure that about 30 decades later discovered me journeying by air over that same home in San Carlos 200 distance up in place journeying 25 periods the rate of audio," said Rex.

Rex's older sister Puncture thought working with blossoms and plants. Now he is a horticulturist, and has created or co-authored more than 30 books, such as the best home owner, "Roses for Idiots." He provides farming advice to many individuals each year.

The original idea for the flow came from Puncture talking about his and his brother's youth encounters.

From a single increased to 20,000

The Lawn of Creativity flow uses more than 20,000 flowers — such as the very first of an award-winning yellow increased named "Sunshine Daydream" — to form a back garden that combinations into the 30-foot-high contrail of a establishing explode.

"The a large number of blossoms on the Bayer Innovative Lawn of Creativity flow are synonymous with the thoughts that develop in your creativeness, just like the thoughts Rex and I had growing up," Puncture said.

"Imagination is at the center of our imagination. It allows us to think beyond what we are used to in everyday life and gives us trust and pleasure about the long run," he said in an appointment with collect space.

It was creativity that first led the friends to work together for the Increased Celebration in March 2008. Generating his second of three visits into place, Rex introduced with him a two-toned lilac rose — properly named "Tournament of Roses" — that Puncture selected for the 5.3 thousand kilometer vacation.

That increased, which was presented on Bayer Advanced's 2009 flow, won't be creating a recurring appearance.

"I have the unique increased [that was] proven sailing in the place place," Puncture said. "Unfortunately, it is so delicate, we won't be shifting it."

Astronaut vs. "Garden Boy"

Both Pierce and Rex registered the special event last season, but this will be their new generating on one of the glides.

"This is definitely one of the best elements I've ever had a chance to do," Rex said. "So amazing, actually, that we ordered air take a trip for my kids so they can come out to savor the special event for at first too."

So at a celebration so targeted on blossoms, who do the friends think will appeal to more interest — the only astronaut in the celebration or the recognized horticulturist?

"Easy, Rex," Puncture said.

"Very few individuals get to go to place, let alone three periods. I think everyone knows and aspects what type of guts and responsibility that requires. And they want to know what it is like."

"I just get filthy and everyone knows what that's like," said Puncture.

But his astronaut sister could not agree.

"I have to exercise second madness to my mature sis Cut. He has the useful appreciation that everybody wants," said Rex. "I even have to get hold of him sometimes to ask him how to treat the newest pestilence in my lawn. No one calls me up and specifications me to help them fix their individual location location, so the benefits of my appreciation groundwork is restricted."

"But, if I could get my 'Garden Boy' sis up to the Worldwide Position Place, I bet he might ask for some spacewalking assistance if we had to go work in the lawn up there!" Rex said.

Watch for the Walheims and the Bayer Cutting edge Lawn of Creativity movement on ABC, NBC, Fantastic Direction and other networks' continue to be details on Jan. 2, 2012, between 11:10 and 11:20 a.m. EST.