2013 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show Will Be “Brilliant!”
Spotlight
on British gardens, landscapes and London, the capital of design
PHILADELPHIA
(December 2012) – The
British have a word for something that’s inventive, dazzling, extraordinary. They
say it’s “Brilliant!”
The 2013 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show,
entitled “Brilliant!,” promises to be all those things and much more.
Inspired by the majestic beauty and creative
genius of Great Britain, “Brilliant!” will be presented March 2 through 10 at
the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Magnificent floral and garden exhibits,
special programming and new attractions will pay tribute to centuries of
influential British culture, culminating in the urbane style of 21st-century
London.
“This will be a Flower Show that
celebrates Britain’s amazing landscapes and cultural icons, as well as the city
that has become the design capital of the world,” explained Drew Becher,
President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. “It will also lift up the
British passion for gardening, which has contributed so much to the
appreciation of horticulture and its role in our lives.”
PHS has developed partnerships with
Britain’s Royal Horticultural Society in preparation for “Brilliant!” and will
feature British experts and designers, including presentations by Mark Lane,
Gardens Manager at Buckingham Palace. The British-American Business Association
is working with PHS to bring specialized products from Britain to the “British
Village” in the Convention Center’s Grand Hall, which will also house a photo
exhibit of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
from the 2010 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show
New
days and attractions
The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show will open a
new chapter in its 184-year history by adding an extra day to the show’s run in
2013 to provide greater opportunity for visitors to see the nation’s premier
horticultural event. For the first time, the show will open on a Saturday and
will include two full weekends.
The revised schedule will move the
black-tie Preview Party to Friday, March 1, at 7 p.m. The celebration will be
held entirely on the show floor, where guests will get the first look at the
just-completed displays and witness the new ceremony for the Best in Show
winners. (The PHS Young Friends’ After Party swings in at 10 p.m.)
The Flower Show will introduce an
exciting variety of new features in 2013.
For the first time, the public will be
invited to purchase Pre-Show Sneak Peek ticket packages to visit during set-up
week, Feb. 25 to 28, allowing behind-the-scenes access during construction of
the elaborate exhibits, plus refreshments in a room overlooking the show floor.
The colorful “New Plant Showcase” will
introduce recently developed varieties of flowers and plants by internationally
acclaimed growers.
New “Make & Take” workshops will offer
opportunities for visitors to design, craft, and take home their own
fashionable “fascinators” – stylish hats popularized at the Royal weddings --
or other creative projects.
A
new attraction especially for guys will be “The Backyard,” a room devoted to
outdoor living, featuring decks and patios, grills and fire pits, new garden
tools and techniques.
All
the entrants in the competitive heart of the Flower Show will be awed by the
unveiling of the “PHS Hamilton Horticourt,” a grand, redesigned structure and
staging for the individual plants grown by veteran and novice exhibitors.
from the 2009 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show
Floral
journey through Britain
The entrance of the 2013 Flower Show
will focus on the sophisticated design sense of London and how it has
influenced the modern world. For “Brilliant!,” traditional British icons will
be given contemporary interpretations. The scent of English roses will welcome
visitors at the Royal palace gates, which will open to an allée of regal birch
trees, leading to the show’s centerpiece: a sculptural, digitally enhanced
rendition of Big Ben, featuring a light and sound show every half-hour.
Major exhibits will explore Britain’s
heritage and culture, from Royal events to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, sunny
cottage gardens to foggy London streetscapes, and Sgt. Pepper’s band to Jack
the Ripper’s Whitechapel. Visitors will stroll past rolling British hillsides,
a manicured cricket club, and a floral presentation of the Crown Jewels. A
giant Union Jack will get a distinctly green treatment at the PHS Exhibit,
which will celebrate the 185th anniversary and latest garden and
design innovations of the nonprofit organization.
“The 2013 Flower Show will be a
British invasion of fantastic presentations, personalities, products and
ideas,” said Sam Lemheney, PHS Senior Vice President of Shows and Events.
“We’ll all be speaking and thinking
with a British accent for a while.”
from the 2011 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show Garden Tea
Everyone’s
cup of tea
There will be a Flower Show feature
for every interest in 2013, with displays, presentations and events that
inspire and provide practical ideas for the home and garden and the
do-it-yourselfer.
Foodies of all tastes will love the
Garden to Table Kitchen, a culinary demonstration room sponsored by Organic
Gardening magazine that highlights great chefs and focuses on fresh ingredients
from the garden.
The PHS Kids Zone, sponsored by
Einstein Healthcare Network, will be a space for children to unwind and parents
to relax. Interactive features in the room will emphasize healthy family
living.
Garden Teas will have a decidedly
British flavor at “Brilliant!” The popular, reserved events are the perfect
complement to a day at the Flower Show, with a refreshing light meal in an
elegant, cozy space.
Special afternoon and evening events
invite distinct audiences to enjoy the Flower Show. The “LGBT Party” will be
Sunday, March 3, at 4 p.m. Brides-to-be and their parties will love “Wedding
Wednesday” on March 6. “Girls’ Night Out” will be Thursday, March 7, and
“Family Day” will be Sunday, March 10.
And every day is perfect for the free tastings offered by the PA Fine
Wine and Spirits store in the Grand Hall, which will highlight exceptional
offerings from Great Britain this year.
Gardeners of all levels will find something to
learn in the Speaker Series and Gardener’s Studio presentations, featuring
nationally and internationally renowned experts on green walls and green roofs,
vegetable gardens and edible landscapes, tree and lawn care, and many other
topics.
One of the most exciting corners of
the Flower Show will be at the Designer’s Studio, where reality-TV-styled,
floral-arranging contests pit professional designers or amateur artists against
one another. The audience votes for the winners in these entertaining and
raucous competitions.
Shoppers will find unique Flower Show
keepsakes, clothing, “Brilliant!” souvenirs, and exceptional plants from PHS Meadowbrook
Farm in the PHS Store, and all manner of gifts, art, jewelry, cut flowers, home
and garden décor, and horticultural products in the Marketplace of 180
specialty shops.
The Flower Show is the perfect
occasion to take advantage of PHS membership, which includes free tickets to
the show, access to the comforts of the Members Lounge, discounts at many of
the Marketplace shops, year-round discounts at select garden centers including
PHS Meadowbrook Farm, a subscription to the popular Green Scene magazine, and
other benefits. This year, members also will enjoy extended Flower Show preview
hours: Friday, March 1 from noon to 3:30 p.m. or Saturday, March 2 from 8 to 11
a.m.
from the 2011 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show
About
the Flower Show
The
PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the nation's largest indoor flower show, which
blooms every March at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The show features the
country's premier landscape designers and florists, who turn 10 acres of the
Convention Center into a floral fantasy world with beautiful plants and
cutting-edge designs.
In addition to the major garden displays, the
Flower Show hosts world-renowned competitions in horticulture and artistic
floral arranging, hundreds of gardening presentations and demonstrations,
special events, a mammoth indoor Marketplace, and a city-wide Flower Show Week
celebration throughout the Philadelphia region.
The
Premier Sponsor of the 2013 Flower Show is Subaru, and the Exclusive Sponsor is
Bank of America.
Proceeds
from the Flower Show benefit the year-round programs of PHS, which is
celebrating its 185th year of gardening, greening and learning. PHS
initiatives include 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.
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3 comments
another superb post ..
all info from the Philadelphia Flower Show Looks like it is going to be really interesting this year!!
It looks like a great show...Thanks for sharing!
Have a great weekend! xoxoxo
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