Among the annual traditions at the Indianapolis 500 is a Victory Lane flower wreath for the winning driver.  And for more than 30 years, Julie Harman Vance of Yorktown has spent the annual seven assembly hours and many more planning hours to create the 30-pound wreath.

She’s only the second designer to do it and created the first wreath when she was 22.

Asked for how long she’ll continue, she said, “Well, honestly, you know, I figure by 75, 78-years-old, old hands may be stiff, but,” and laughs.

In all her years, she’s kept the wreath’s design as consistent as supplies allow.  Its main feature is 33 orchids that represent the number of drivers in the race.

The orchids, this year from a family-owned company in the Netherlands, are live.  Harman Vance says drivers want to take home their wreaths.  She says she usually gets a call the day after the race.

“If Penske wins,” she said, “we have a little routine where I ship them silk orchids, and they replace it in their dried greenery.  They don’t want a duplicate or, you know, it’s got to be that one.”

According to Harman Vance, the wreath includes these supplies each year:

• 33 white orchids (one for each driver)
• Cocculus leaves
• Variegated pittosporum leaves
• Salal leaves
• 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”

Harman Vance says she feels like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a part of her now and she has “such a sense of Indiana pride” in the work.

Listen to an extended interview with Julie Harman Vance about the Indy 500 wreath on IPR’s Pop of Culture.  New episodes are online Fridays.

Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host.  Contact her at slwiechmann@bsu.edu.