One of Chiangmai's great tourist attractions takes place in February every year. This is the          annual flower carnival which attracts visitors from overseas along many Thai citizens. Early February is          the perfect time for this festival because the climatic conditions during the cool of the winter allow the          cultivation of not only exotic tropical flowers, such as orchids, but also temperate blooms like roses and         chrysanthemums.                          Chiangmai city, in February, is awash with vibrant colors, ranging from the electric orange and          lilac of bougainvillea to the velvety blossoms of petunias in all shades of pink, white and purple. The          strident red of poinsettias, bought by many at Christmas and New Year, is echoed by beds of scarlet          salvias. But all this is eclipsed by the sheer profusion of color that the Flower Carnival and Fair bring to         the aptly named "Rose of the North".