Maybe it’s time to stop saying “I should do that this year…” and put the date firmly on the calendar. If you’ve heard about the Philadelphia Flower show but never been, find a companion, drive into beautiful Philadelphia and experience the magic that wows over a quarter-million visitors every year.
The show couldn’t be at a better time for the East Coast gardener weary of a long winter – it runs from Saturday March 5 to Sunday March 13, getting us geared up for the season about to begin. It’s the world’s largest and oldest indoor flower show, and each year, the large-scale gardens, landscapes and floral creations are created around a theme. This year America’s national parks are highlighted with the theme “Explore America.”
I still have dreams about the fanciful and incredible “Mad Tea Party” designed by Petals Lane (when “English Gardens” was the theme in 2013.) Exquisite, quirky statues from the Wonderland Bronze collection by UK sculptor Robert James anchored the four corners of a garden/table setting that required at least 40 minutes of study to fully appreciate. That was also the year I, and a lot of other gardeners fell in love with Helleborus ballardiae “HGC Pink Frost.”
The Flower Show has something for everyone, so don’t be afraid to bring a friend who might not be as hard core as you are. At lunch, you can step across the street from the Convention Center and eat anything you’d care to imagine at the massive indoor Reading Terminal Market. They’ll even be a beer garden at “Base Camp” this year in the middle of the Grand Hall.
From the website:
The 2016 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, “Explore America,” will celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service and our country’s majestic landscapes, rich history, cherished monuments and vibrant culture, on March 5-13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
From Acadia and Cape Cod, to Valley Forge and Shenandoah, to Yellowstone, Yosemite and other iconic parks and historic sites, American beauty and glory will serve as inspiration for exhibits created by the nation’s premier floral and garden designers.
It’s a great city, a great show, and a great day or weekend out. And I’m giving you lots of heads-up. Think about it.
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