| 2003 Philadelphia Flower Show | |
Photo by John Fischer
|
The Philadelphia Flower Show opens on Sunday March
2
and runs through Sunday, March
9
at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.
The Philadelphia Flower Show is the oldest flower and garden show in the United States
and the largest indoor flower and garden show in the world attracting more than 250,000
visitors annually from across the country and the world. The Show is produced by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Founded in
1827, the PHS is the nation's oldest and foremost organization of its kind. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's mission is to motivate people to improve the quality of life and create
a sense of community through horticulture. Working throughout the Philadelphia
region, PHS's Philadelphia Green program has helped thousands of residents
transform neighborhoods and gateways into vibrant spaces of learning and
inspiration. The theme of this year's
"Upon entering the Show, visitors will walk beneath a festive 20 foot gate topped with colorful masks of traditional Puerto Rican "spirits." The gate leads to the tiny coastal town of Loiza, Pueto Rico. Each year, a festival is held in Loiza that commemorates the struggle between good and evil. The Fiesta Santiago de Apostol with its costumed dancers and enchanting music will come to life at the Show amid a background of luxurious plantings and architecture.
From here, visitors will continue on to Tijuana where a cantina provides a playful setting for topiary characters to "sway" to the sounds of a Mariachi band. The entire cantina is surrounded by a festive Mexican garden with lots of new ideas for the drought conscious gardener.;
The third and final exhibit in the Central Feature will take visitors on a Zen like journey into a Latin night. "Suenos Florecientes de la Noche," (Flowering Dreams of the Night) will fill the senses with fragrance, whimsy and lots to dream about.
The 2003 Philadelphia Flower Show, sponsored by PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., features 10 acres with blooming gardens and thousands of specimen plants, whimsical topiary, artistic flower arrangements, and miniature garden scenes by the nation's most renowned horticulturists and designers.
For the indoor gardener, the Show offers more than 2,000 examples of plants, collections, designs and flower arrangements in its Competitive Class division. Amateurs from throughout the world enter their creations into a competition that is judged throughout Show week. Ribbons and medals are presented in most categories on the Show's first weekend along with trophies for the major garden displays.
More than 300 free presentations conducted daily throughout Show week bring the Show down to earth for home gardeners. Lively hourly demonstrations and seminars by local experts take place in two Gardener's Studio stations in the Main Exhibition Hall and in Lecture and Demonstration rooms along the Show's main concourse.
The culinary artistry of area chefs is showcased in three presentations daily, hosted by Chef Joseph E. Shilling, Dean of Education at The Art Institute of New York City and assisted by students from culinary arts at the Art Institute of Philadelphia.
Borders is sponsoring this year's Philadelphia Flower Show "BookFair" on the bridge connecting the exhibit area to the Grand Hall. Visitors can attend free lectures by this year's hottest gardening authors and have their books autographed at daily book signings.
In addition you can find 140 vendors in the Garden Marketplace bringing the garden to the visitor with pots and plants, cut flowers and garden structures, patio furniture and ergonomically correct tools, all of the ingredients to satisfy the most winter-weary among us.
Hours:
Sunday, March 2 and 9, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday, March 3 through Friday, March 7, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 8, 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Admission/Fees:
Adults: Opening Sunday - $24
Weekends - $22
Weekdays - $20
Children under 12 - $10
Advance Sale $18.00
The Philadelphia Flower Show maintains an excellent website full of valuable information. For more information check our "Elsewhere on the Web" section.
Your Guide will be attending this year's Show and will be adding a gallery of photos for those of you who are unable to attend. If, however, you can get a chance to see the Show live, it is well worth the trip.
Take a look at some photos of last year's show in our Flower Show Photo Gallery.