By Donna Zitter Bordelon
I’m a snow lover. But with such a blustery, cold winter, it was time to see some blooms. It was time to go to the Philadelphia Flower Show. In its 196th year, the show’s theme is “Gardens of Tomorrow.” We all need the healing power of nature, and gardening is one way to achieve this. “Every act of gardening is an act of hope,” the show’s guidebook reminds us. The show is being held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where hope abounds, until March 9.
Immediately upon entering the show there is a Butterflies Live! exhibit, a Kid’s Cocoon and even a Lego construction exhibit on loan from the Franklin Institute. Venture down the hall a bit farther and you find the Game Commission along with many other tourism sponsors, mainly from New Jersey, upstate Pennsylvania and New York. Everyone’s giving away tchotchkes and salt water taffy, so bring along a bag, or if you prefer, snag one from one of these vendors. If you are lucky, you will not have to buy any pens for a while.
Jennifer Designs, with its “Welcoming Wildlife Home!” exhibit, won Best of Show. The exhibit was a white house where you could peek into the windows or “step inside” where an unusual dinner party was taking place. Seated together at a table was a frog, turtle, bee, tortoise, squirrel and butterfly, made mostly of flowers. Native and non-native flowers were planted outside the house and the message was a call to sustain and protect wildlife and insects environmentally into the future. This exhibit truly deserved the win.
Robertson’s Flowers and Events exhibit, “Tending Our Roots,” showcased a backdrop of the Philadelphia skyline at dusk with lighted windows. The LOVE statue was incorporated in the exhibit and the clouds overhead featured air plants. They built on the theme “one generation plants the trees, another gets the shade.”
Tissarose Floral created a beautiful rendition of flowers on an open piano, titled “Sowers Symphony.” It was truly breathtaking. Although the piano remained silent, the vivid blooms played to the eyes. You could almost hear the piano playing in harmony with the blooms.
“The Bulbs,” a tulip display by Jacques Amand, brought out a splash of color.
All of these exhibits were outstanding in their use of flowers.
I stopped to listen to a lecture on Ikebana, a Japanese minimalist arrangement that forms a type of asymmetrical triangle. The Know to Grow speaker series, free with a show ticket, was also in progress.
The Hamilton Horticourt showcased submissions from PHS members who choose to enter their best plants in a competition. There were some interesting entries that were obviously very well cared for by their proud owners.
Students from area high schools and colleges also designed the exhibits. The schools participating were Lankenau High School, Lakeside School, W.B. Saul High School, Mercer County Community College, Temple University, Delaware Valley University and Bucks County Community College. All of the entries showed imagination and effort.
The Marketplace, Maker’s Market and the PHS store were abundantly well-stocked, and the crowd seemed to be buying various and sundry items. These vendors offer scads of gardening supplies and tools and decorative garden wares, jewelry, artwork, clothes, balsamic oil, etc.
Some displays fulfilled the aspiration that spring is coming soon. However, the entrance, titled “Futura Florentia,” meaning flowers of the future, was a disappointment. Where were the flowers? Instead, arched and tubed neon lights arranged to create a tunnel effect gave off a purple lighting.
Much of the show focused on trees and landscape. Also, there was a lot of open space between exhibits. There were more benches, a good thing. Reminiscent of last year’s show, there simply were too few flowers. ••
