Just last week groundhogs throughout the northeast proclaimed an early spring for 2011. But New York City’s Parks & Recreation Department got there first with an installation of The Roses, by Will Ryman, on the Park Avenue Mall between 57^th and 67^th Streets. (Photos: Peggy Roalf)

Ryman has brought some of his bent for the absurd and the dramatic into the installation by including spiders, aphids, and other garden critters, at a monster scale, among the vividly painted flowers. In addition to the 38 giant pink and red roses that range from five to ten feet in diameter, an additional sixty fallen rose petals are scattered along the landscaped medians. “Park Avenue is known for its beautiful floral displays and Will Ryman’s massive roses, ranging between three and twenty-five feet in height, will enliven the area throughout the winter, in anticipation of the arrival of the tulips in the spring,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe.

The Roses, by Will Ryman, was organized by Parks & Recreation together with the sculpture committee of the Fund for Park Avenue, with additional support from the Paul Kasmin Gallery. It continues through the end of May.