Leave winter behind as you enter into the 2013 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. (Julia Pelish/Vacay.ca)
Photos and Report by Julia Pelish
Vacay.ca Visuals Editor
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA — If you love gardening and the sweet smell of spring, then this is your March madness.
Brilliant! is the theme name for the 2013 Philadelphia International Flower Show and it is a pitch-perfect symphony of garden delights steeped with impeccable, yet eccentric British tastes. Chris Woods, one of the designers of this year’s show and a Brit by birth, said, “This show is more about contemporary British gardening.” Woods also spent some time in Canada as the former director of VanDusen Garden in Vancouver.
The Philadelphia Flower Show is the world’s largest indoor flower show. Its week-long floral showcase wraps up on Sunday. Annually, it ushers in spring in this east coast city by spreading across 10 acres inside the Philadelphia Convention Center. One of the world’s premier horticultural events, the Philly Flower Show entices landscapers, designers and “plant nerds” of the highest order to compete for about 60 blue-ribbon prizes awarded throughout the show.
It seemed one could find just about anything that could be botanically concocted while wandering through the many exhibits. The creativity is amazing, from lavish expansive fantasy gardens to arrangements in minutiae. As a photographer who loves flowers, you can see I was in my glory.
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For the first time, the show is open for two full weekends. There is plenty of variety to enjoy from interactive workshops and lectures for all ages and levels of plant enthusiasts as well as boutique-type shopping in the Marketplace. When you get hungry, the Reading Terminal Market (think St. Lawrence Market in Toronto or Granville Island in Vancouver) is next door. Stop in for all kinds of goodies to satisfy any rumbling tummy.
More About the 2013 Philadelphia Flower Show
Location: Philadelphia Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA (see map below)
Remaining Dates: March 8-10, 2013
Prices: Online discounts lower prices to $27 for adults and $20 for students (ages 17-24) and $15 for children (2-16). Prices purchased at the show are $32 adults, $25 students, $20 children. For more information, visit the Philadelphia Flower Show’s website.
Charity Initiatives: Proceeds from the show go to benefit the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1827. It includes the PHS City Harvest program, which creates green jobs and supports a network of community gardens that raise fresh produce for more than 1,000 families in need each week during the growing season.
Upcoming Vacay.ca Coverage: Vacay.ca will be informing Canadians on the great things to see and do in Philadelphia, a city that is on the rise as a tourist destination for a number of reasons, not the least of which is its bargain shopping. With no sales tax on many items, Canadians will enjoy a discounted vacation while also taking in some of Philadelphia’s luxury offerings, including fine hotels and some of America’s most cutting-edge culinary spots. Throw in fantastic art and a music scene that is renowned for its eclecticism and talent and you’ve got an unheralded city with lots to offer a visitor.
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