A Yorktown, Indiana native, Julie Harman graduated from Yorktown High School in 1988. She then attended college for commercial arts and design in Indianapolis. During this time she worked at two Indianapolis florists – Fairfield Florist and McNamara. In 1992, Julie began creating the Indianapolis 500 Victory Lane wreath for the winning driver, thus earning the title of “The Wreath Lady.” In 2007 Julie’s passion for flowers led her to open her own business, Buck Creek in Bloom in Downtown Yorktown.
About Julie Harman Vance
Indianapolis 500/Borg Warner Winners Wreath
The Indianapolis 500/Borg Warner Winners Wreath is constructed using:
- A round 24-inch Styrofoam base
- 30 feet of red, white, and blue-striped wire ribbon
- 70 feet of light green floral tape
- 33 small water tubes
- 60 small, checkered flags
- 250 steel picks
- 5 lbs. of hot glue
- 3-inch handcrafted cedar letters spelling “BorgWarner”
The wreath’s foliage includes:
- 33 white Cymbidium orchids (one for each driver) grown in Oregon
- Cocculus leaves grown in Florida
- Variegated pittosporum leaves grown in Florida
- Salal leaves grown in Washington State
The wreath weighs 30 pounds and takes seven hours to assemble.
Interview on NBC
Interview on WRTV-6
Interview on WISH-TV Indy Style
