Orchid, holiday, and other types of big shows and festivals are becoming increasingly popular ways to draw in visitors to public gardens. Pairing displays with interpretive messages under a theme allows us to tell a cohesive story with strongly reinforced messages and helps our visitors better appreciate and understand our missions. If interpretation is not considered in the early stages of show planning, messages will often become disjointed and less impactful. In this introduction to interpretive principles, examples from shows at Myriad Botanical Gardens and Phipps Conservatory will provide attendees with ideas, themes, and interpretive script that they may adapt to help in planning of their own shows.