Sometimes plants are tended to for months in the staging area before being utilized. Outside conditions of the desert environment are part of the equation when scheduling delivery of product. A tree targeted for the fall display might have to arrive in the spring so that it isn’t exposed to stinging summer temperatures during travel.

The real production begins when it’s time for a new show installation. An army of 100 horticulturists, engineers and crew work 24 hours a day, seven days straight to complete the transformation. Five cranes hidden below the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens’ marble floor and secret tunnels help move massive set pieces—like trees weighing up to 10,000 pounds—in and out of scenes.

The most daunting aspect appears to be the understanding of weight restrictions, the rigging of tonnage, and how non-living aspects of a show come to life—such as making butterflies “fly” or synchronizing music and water if part of a specific exhibition.

Elaborate choreography and technical wonderment aside, the living, breathing creatures are the true stars of this show. “People are amazed by the sheer abundance of flowers,” Danzak hypothesizes. “It’s so much more than just a lot of flowers though. It’s the way they’re selected, the way they’re designed, the different texture, colors—again, it’s what you’re trying to say.” When all is said and done, Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens set the stage for a show filled with the art, beauty, theatrics, and sensory-pleasing kind of entertainment that only nature can provide.