Along with much of North America, it’s been a rough winter here in the Middle Atlantic States, including the Greater Philadelphia Region. We’ve had more than 75 inches of snow here this year, an all-time record. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to spring, the crocuses, tulips, daffodils and the other blooms it brings, picking up everyone’s spirits.
So, even more welcome than normal, the Philadelphia International Flower Show opened Sunday with a dazzling display of color from across the globe.
If you have a chance to travel to the Northeast this week, come on over to Philadelphia and spend a few days here. Our historic treasures are unsurpassed, our museums excellent, and our restaurants are waiting to please your palate. And, of course, this week, you can join the more than 250,000 visitors who will visit the Philadelphia International Flower Show.
The Philadelphia International Flower Show is the nation’s oldest, having its first exhibition in 1829. That first Flower Show, showed off Pennsylvania Horticulture Society (the nation’s first horticultural society) members’ horticultural treasures of exotic and native plants.
Since then, the show has grown so much, its main exhibitions now fill 10 acres of floor space at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. This is the world’s largest indoor flower show. Add to that the Show’s talks and demonstrations, the extensive vendor area for plants and gardening wares, family lounge and World Bazaar shopping adventure, as well as entertainment and food. You’ll find 33 indoor acres filled with plants, flowers and everything horticultural.
This is truly an “international” exhibition. As you enter the main hall, you will embark on a fantastical and unexpected journey to destinations the world over. Feast your eyes on the show’s six showcase gardens from Brazil, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa, clustered around a 28 foot, flower covered, hot-air balloon rising from the Explorer’s Garden.
The Show’s renowned floral and landscape gardeners take visitors to an international journey. Enjoy an Indian Wedding, Brazil’s Amazon Jungle, exotic birds brought to the Show by the Philadelphia Zoological Garden (the nation’s oldest zoo), the spring tulip colors of the Netherlands, the a South African Zulu village, the incredible orchids of Singapore, and the magnificent New Zealand flora. Along with these six spectacular showcases are thousands of other wonderful horticultural exhibits.
For home gardeners like me, there is much for each of us, to inspire us for the upcoming seasons. Demonstrations and talks to help us become better gardeners are nonstop. Personally, I think this is the best indoor flower show anywhere in the world.
Clearly, the Philadelphia International Flower Show’s most unusual and unconventional exhibit is MODA Botanica — shipping containers filled with plants and flowers in a decidedly industrial setting.
One of the containers, named “The Urban Jungle,” is covered with graffiti. The container named “The Accident” shows off fantastic white orchids flowing out to a floor covered with packing peanuts. Don’t miss these “containers” of flowers. They are a wonderfully playful study of contrasts.
A 19-stop audio tour, presented by the Mid-Atlantic Horticultural Therapy Network, is included in the price of your ticket. The audio guide brings visitors through vertical garden beds, raised planters and adaptive tools (lighter and easier to handle than many of today’s tools). Some are made to strap around the wrist to make gardening easier for stroke patients or people with arthritis.
The Philadelphia International Flower Show will be held through Sunday, March 7th at 6:00pm. The Show is held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets in Center-City Philadelphia. Don’t worry about the snow. The airport’s runways are open, and the City’s streets and sidewalks have been cleared.
The Show’s open from 10 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Having attended the Show for years, I can tell you the best time to visit is Monday through Friday between about 4:30pm until closing.
Advance tickets are $23 for adults; $18 for students ages 17 to 24; $13 for children ages 2 to 16, and free for children younger than 2. Tickets at the box office are more, depending on the day. There are also Family Fun Paks available for $65.
For everyone traveling to my home town, this week, despite the cold and snow outside, you’ll find a warm atmosphere at the Show, with incredible colors and aromas to lift your spirits and assure you that spring will be upon us soon.
After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
