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The Flower Show is one of Philly’s finest. Each March, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) takes over the Convention Center and transforms it into 10 acres of beautiful plants and landscapes.
The show includes competitions, demonstrations, themed nights and an indoor marketplace. In previous years, the show has featured plants and gardens from certain geographic regions, but the last two years have been planned around a special theme.
This year’s, “Lights, Cameras, Blooms,” is a celebration of movies, particularly Disney and Disney Pixar films.
“Everyone loves movies,” said Alan Jaffe, director of communications for the society. “Everyone has some connection to film. It’s so prevalent in our daily lives now. We’ve been doing the show since 1829 (but) we’ve never done anything like this before.”
Having movies as the theme makes the show accessible to a broader audience.
“It’s beautiful,” said first time visitor, Julia Pillsbury. Her husband, James, chimed in, “I like the movies too.” The event’s biggest wow factor is its welcome garden, which harkens back to movie premieres of the 1920’s. Designed by PHS’s chief of shows, Sam Lemheney and Gary Radin of GMR Design, the exhibit showcases massive floral arrangements around the facade of an art deco movie palace. Clips from movies run continually, drawing in both lovers of flowers and cinema.
Jaffe said this year’s show is more accessible to children.
“Children love beauty too. But when they make connections to great films [like] the princess from “Frozen” or “Cinderella,” they’re going to have a fantastic reaction to the show.”
New this year is Cinderella Sunday on March 8, a special day for princesses and princes of all ages to enjoy exhibits and take pictures with Cinderella. Tonight, March 5 is college night, and tomorrow, March 6 is Fido Friday, where visitors can bring their dogs.
Mickey Mouse won’t be at this show though.
“What you’ll see are evocations of the spirit of different movies,” Jaffe said.
One display features a restaurant with tables adorned by beautiful red flowers inspired by “Ratatouille.” Another designer interpreted “Pirates of the Caribbean” with cannons made of giant plant pots with flowers streaming out of them. “Frozen” makes an appearance too, with a huge white staircase surrounded by white trees.
The American Institute of Floral Designers created a display of floral costumes inspired by various Disney princesses.
There is a pop up garden in the rotunda of Liberty Place and one in the Grand Hall between Reading Terminal Market and the Convention Center with comfortable seating and a movie screen. The pop up gardens feature PHS Horticulture Cider.
The Grand Hall includes the Fine Wine and Good Spirits Store where visitors can enjoy free tastings and shop. Film and television star Dan Aykroyd will be signing bottles of his Crystal Head Vodka on March 6.
Gene London, a collector of costumes from famous films, exhibits 60 items from his collection during the show. Visitors can see dresses worn by Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor. The Butterfly Experience is in the Grand Concourse, and features 30 species of butterflies.
Some visitors only come to see the horticulture on display, while other longtime fans rave about the changes of recent years. Bud and Rita Ralston have been coming for nearly a decade.
“I like it a whole lot better,” Bud said. “Every year they’ve added a little bit of something to it and this theme here and the exhibits are just outrageously beautiful. It’s very exciting to be here this year.”
Rita adds, “I’m enjoying the whole thing. I can’t even pick what I like the best yet. Every year it’s amazing. They change it just enough and put new things in that it really makes it awesome.”