The Flower Show is Back in Full-Bloom

The Philadelphia Flower Show is Back in Full-Bloom

Photo Credit: Ella Lathan for Arts News Now

Ella Lathan, a new contributor for Arts News Now, is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and she went to the Philadelphia Flower Show this week. She has a deep love for the arts and anything that sparks joy in others. Keep reading to find out more about the Flower Show!

By: Ella Lathan

The Philadelphia Flower Show (PHS) is back inside at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, this year with an exotic, eye-catching theme.

The Flower Show has a rich history that dates back to 1829 when garden enthusiasts met on Broad Street in Philadelphia to compare their findings about the world around them.

“The show started off with enthusiasts, farmers, and plant people comparing their wares in the spirit of horticultural knowledge. With that lots of different garden clubs and enthusiasts came together annually to promote an enjoyment of horticulture,” Seth Pearsoll, Creative Director at PHS explained.

The Flower show grew, and by 1960 Ernesta Ballard started to bring different content in. The show then moved to the Philadelphia Convention Center in 1996, where it continued to grow in size, drama, and theater.

“I would say over the last three years, particularly post-COVID. It feels to me like we’re entering a new era of the Flower Show,” Pearsoll said.

Photo Credit: Ella Lathan for Arts News Now

“I would say over the last three years, particularly post-COVID. It feels to me like we’re entering a new era of the Flower Show,” Pearsoll said.

For the past two years, the Flower Show was held in FDR park, Philadelphia, PA due to COVID-19-related restrictions. The theme over those two years was more tranquil and serene to not only match the landscape but also to fit the feelings of many during a turbulent time.

As we are all familiar with the pandemic impacting many aspects of our lives. Pearsoll expressed that his team was grateful to just keep the show alive.

“We had to overcome so many hurdles, there were health and safety hurdles, predictability, and lead time hurdles. And then of course you have things like weather and infrastructure,” Pearsoll further explained, “FDR is an amazing park, but there’s not just an outlet that you can plug into.”

The Flower Show team had about 6 months to turn FDR park into a massive, multifaceted floral exhibit. Not only was there new terrain at play, but wildlife also had to be taken into consideration.

“A turtle made a little habitat in the display I [was] working on, so I had to work around that,” Pearsoll described.

Although the pandemic had its challenges the Flower Show showed resilience in many ways, much like most things in nature. For the past two years, the theme has been calming, peaceful and almost palliative in a way.

Photo Credit: Ella Lathan for Arts News Now

This year the theme for the show couldn’t be more different. Graden Electric is full of surprises, florals, lights, and more.

When you walk into the show you are mesmerized by the immediate smell of the flowers, then the lights dim, and the music starts.

Franco and Christopher Urban combined their passions to create a unique, eclectic exhibit. They shared a bit of insight into the music that plays when you walk in. “The music you hear is an authentic set from New York’s Studio 54’s late DJ Roy Thode, a disco DJ who seamlessly blends one song to another, demonstrating the way music was curated and how it enhanced the entire environment – that gave everyone a safe space where ALL were welcome,” stated in their Artist Design Brief. Franco and Christopher run Ill Exotics, a retail shop located on East Passyunk Avenue, in Philadelphia. Where they work with tropical house plants, reptiles, and amphibians. Their mission is centered around environmentalism, ethics, and education.

“Our two passions combined really create Studio Exotica, obviously plants being my love and then music, disco, and designing [being Chris’s creates] a completely immersive space for everybody to enjoy. It really highlights both of us, individually, and our unity together.”

Studio Exotica, Urban described, is inspired by disco, a place free of judgment and full of vibrancy, expression, and love.

Photo Credit: Ella Lathan for Arts News Now

Studio Exotica, Urban described, is inspired by disco, a place free of judgment and full of vibrancy, expression, and love.

Photo Credit: Ella Lathan for Arts News Now

“We feel it’s very relevant to everything that’s going on in the world today. The discotheque offered a safe place with an enjoyable atmosphere where people could express themselves freely without judgment and just feel safe and have a good time,” Urban said, “there is a little bit of a deeper meaning behind what we did because disco never died.”

Franco and Christopher worked with other like-minded artists in order to assemble their masterpiece.

“We teamed up with our good friend Gunner Montana, who is a visual artist that focuses on theatrical production located in Philadelphia. We teamed up with him and upcycled the set of his most recent production and turned it into the hardscape of Studio Exotica,” Urban told Arts News Now.

There is one part of the exhibit that is hard to wrap your mind around, and it seems as if these plants are being held up by magic. Urban let Arts News Now in on a little secret.

“There’s actually a plastic pot under there, but in order to make it look natural and not kind of distract from the overall setting we covered everything with moss,” Urban said.

Jennifer Reed of Jennifer Designs won Gold for her masterpiece, “The Cerebral Garden.”

Photo Credit: Ella Lathan for Arts News Now

Reed grew up in a flower shop and for her, this feels like second nature. She started volunteering with PHS a few years ago, and the Flower Show has given her more room to make her exhibits each year.

Reed told Arts News Now that the idea for “The Cerebral Garden” came from the Franklin Institute.

“My family and I decided to take trips to the Franklin Institute to get some inspiration for the theme. The brain exhibit resonated a lot with me because neurons resembled the Willow branches. So that’s kind of where it stemmed off of.”

Reed worked with a team to help her make her vision a reality. She also worked with a lighting designer from the Franklin Institute, as well as the American Flower Farm Society.

“I tried to source as many American-grown flower farmers as I could throughout my exhibit too. It’s hard being on the East Coast in March to find a lot of cut flowers that are grown locally, but I was able to source a lot from California,” Reed explained.

Reed’s exhibit is hard to miss, which is done on purpose. This year is all about the visitors and their experience.

“It’s more about the experience this year as opposed to taking a photo or a photo op, it was more about just feeling like they were part of the exhibit,” Reed told Arts News Now.

This weekend is full of fun things to do for all ages. Friday is for animal and flower lovers, dog owners are encouraged to bring their furry best friends to the show to parade around and smell the flowers. Costumes and flower crowns are encouraged.

Photo Credit: Ella Lathan for Arts News Now

Saturday is for those who love to dress up, dance, and party. Flowers After Hours is a whimsical 21-and-over dance party showcasing live music, tastings, and DJ Active. The theme is Garden Noir, and guests are asked to wear masks and go all out. This is a separately ticketed event that starts at 8:30. The tickets are $75 per person.

Sunday is Family Frolic, which is geared towards families. Community partners will be on sight hosting activities ranging from face painting to crafts and live music. The Philadelphia School District will have students perform for friends, family, and anyone else enjoying the show. This event is from 10 am to 3 pm.

Tickets for the Flower Show range depending on age and membership. The ticket guidelines are outlined below:

For the whole weekend:

Adult – $45

Student (Ages 18-24) **with valid ID** – $30