From John Fischer,
Your Guide to Philadelphia / South Jersey.
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The Philadelphia Flower Show opens on Sunday March 2 and runs through Sunday, March 9, 2008 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.

2008 Theme

The theme of this year's Show is "Jazz It Up!" The exhibits will transport guests to the Crescent City’s Garden District, French Quarter, backwoods and bayous, and show them how to jazz up their own gardens with exotic and familiar plants and to express their own inner music in their home landscapes.

Flower Show visitors will also enjoy the unique music of the Big Easy, as New Orleans headliners like Big Sam’s Funky Nation and local jazz greats such as Dave Posmontier perform on two stages throughout the week.

Central Feature

The show's central feature exhibits interpret the 2008 theme.

• Visitors will pass under a massive archway of larger-than-life floating piano keys, musical notes and waterfall and enter the Rhythm Rooms Jazz Club, the central feature created by Show Designer Sam Lemheney with Lamsback Floral Decorators.
  
  
• The series of vignettes are inspired by modern art, each built around a geometric shape and striking color combinations. Over-the-top floral chandeliers, full-size palm trees, and imaginative garden rooms will push the limits of "outside-in" décor, while Southern plants from magnolias to bromeliads abound.
  
  
• Second-line parades, the traditional Big Easy street dancing, will wind through the Show floor to the Bourbon Street Stage where Big Sam and local performers, including the Hoppin’ John Orchestra and UCC Brass Band, will bring on the New Orleans sound.
  
  
• The other musical venue, the Legends Stage Presented by Settlement Music School, will feature homegrown talent such as Sam Ruttenberg, Denise Bruckno, and the Crosstown Brass Quintet will perform classical to contemporary jazz.

It's Your Garden

For the indoor gardener, the Show offers more than 3,000 examples of plants, collections, designs and flower arrangements in its Competitive Class division in hundreds of categories that include jazz-inspired arbors, entryways, window boxes, miniature settings, and more.

New categories this year include a series of floral arrangements inspired by the works of fashion students at the University of the Arts and a whimsical topiary dog show that will feature a variety of favorite breeds.

Judging & Awards

More than 200 selected judges come from across the nation to take part in the competition. The first judging, including major exhibits, will be held Saturday, March 1, with judging for amateur entries continuing throughout the week. Grand Sweepstakes Awards will be announced on Saturday, March 9.

Special Attractions at the Show

• The Lecture Series - Daily lectures range from flower arranging, container gardening, landscaping and gardening on your deck to pest control, Ikebana, growing orchids and much, much more. Suitable for all experience levels. National and local gardening authors, celebrities and experts discuss a broad range of horticultural topics including how-to tips for your flowers, yard and vegetable gardens. Check here for a schedule of speakers. Free to Show visitors.
  
  
• The Gardener's Studio - Presented by Subaru of America, Inc. Up close and personal gardening information offered throughout the day on the Show floor, by regional experts. Free to Show visitors. Check here for the schedule.
  
  
• Daily Presentations of Culinary Artistry - Hosted by The Art Institute of Philadelphia Culinary School, local celebrity chefs will offer live cooking presentations three times each day. From sassy Cuban cuisine to heart healthy vegetarian learn the tips and tricks from the experts. Hosted by Chef Joseph E. Shilling and the Art Institute of Philadelphia, Culinary School. Free to Show visitors. Check here for a schedule of presenters.
  
  
• Shop for unique gardening books to give inspiration for lawns, flower arranging, floral crafts and so much more. The Borders Book Fair is located near the Subaru on the Concourse.

The Marketplace

No visit to the Flower Show would be complete without stopping in the Marketplace. With its huge collection of top quality vendors, the Marketplace will provide the perfect opportunity to get the garden started.

The Flower Show Marketplace will offer quality tools, sculptures, plants, artwork, bonsai, orchids, and cut flowers in more than 150 vendor booths. In 2008, New Orleans and Southern-inspired garden décor, tools, jewelry, crafts, and glassware will be featured with special pieces available at the Official Flower Show Shoppe.

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