Flower Show Takes a New Name On the International Stage

Over the past 181 years, the Philadelphia Flower Show has grown into a world-renowned exhibition of the best landscape and floral design. This year, it has also grown into a new name.

The oldest and largest celebration of horticultural excellence is now the Philadelphia International Flower Show.

The name change is motivated by the desire to attract the finest examples of plants, garden design, and greening techniques from around the globe to the annual event at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Advance tickets for the Show, which are $23 for adults and $13 for children, are available online beginning in mid-October at www.theflowershow.com. For the first time, student tickets, which are $18, also are available online.

“Our new name raises the Flower Show up on the world stage, and it is an invitation to gardeners everywhere to join us in Philadelphia for this fabulous Show that does so much to highlight the best of horticulture and design,” said Jane Pepper, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which produces the Flower Show.  

The change reflects the increasing participation in recent decades of horticulturists, designers and government agencies from other nations in the Flower Show. Since the1980s, the Philadelphia exhibition has welcomed presentations by gardening experts from Asia, Europe, Africa, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
           
The collaboration between American exhibitors and those from other countries is also an acknowledgement of the Philadelphia presentation as the premier indoor flower show in the world. The newly formed Singapore Garden Festival took inspiration from the Philadelphia show’s theatrical and entertainment elements for its presentation. In August, a delegation of representatives of South Korean municipal and provincial governments visited PHS to learn about the creation and management of the Philadelphia event. Even the famed Chelsea Flower Show in England has drawn inspiration from Philadelphia. At home in the U.S., the Flower Show has provided guidance and served as a model for similar horticultural shows in other cities for many years.

“Our exhibitors are among the most creative and innovative designers in their fields, and we want to share those talents and encourage participation by other skilled designers from around the world,” said Flower Show Designer Sam Lemheney.
           
The International Festival and Events Association has honored the Flower Show for many years with its Pinnacle Awards, and recently presented six awards to the 2009 Flower Show, including best community outreach program for Philadelphia Green. The Guinness Book of World Records in 2005 certified that the Flower Show is the earliest documented and longest running horticultural show in the world. The Show also was included in the 2007 best-seller, “1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. and Canada Before You Die.”

Complementing the new name is the theme of the 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show, “Passport to the World.” Visitors to the Show, to be held February 28 to March 7, will embark on an exotic journey to dozens of destinations around the globe.
           
An Explorer’s Garden will welcome guests as they enter the Show. The display will be filled with plants discovered in all corners of the globe by expeditions conducted by early adventurers from PHS, Longwood Gardens Inc., the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Botanic Gardens, and the four-year Wilkes Expedition. Plants introduced for the first time to America at the early Flower Shows will also be featured in this extraordinary, first-ever exhibit.
             
The first in a series of massive Showcase Gardens will transport visitors to India amid an Indian wedding scene, with a towering floral elephant, presented by Jamie Rothstein Distinctive Floral Design. The Netherlands will be portrayed by Robertson’s Flowers in a Dutch street scene and shop filled with more than 100,000 bulbs abloom. The natural wonders of South Africa will be interpreted by the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) in flowers that depict the vivid colors and patterns found in the tribal clothing of the Zulu. Burke Brothers Landscape Contractors will take visitors into the Amazon jungle of Brazil, an otherworldly canopy of sparkling waterfalls and tropical flora, and featuring exotic birds of the Philadelphia Zoo. Singapore, the “Pearl of Asia,” will be presented by Waldor Orchids in a luminescent tribute to the orchid and displays inspired by that nation’s botanical gardens. The rugged beauty of New Zealand will be captured by Stoney Bank Nurseries in an exhibit that depicts the flora and traditions of the native Maori.
           
Other exhibitors will celebrate the landscapes and plants of China, Japan, Thailand, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and the Caribbean, and provide an artful interpretation of the northern polar region’s Aurora Borealis.
           
With the new name, the Show remains rooted in the region’s horticultural community and will feature thousands of plant and floral design entries of local enthusiasts in hundreds of competitive categories, including international party dresses created by fashion students at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Visitors will want to plan in advance to attend any of the more than 150 gardening presentations held throughout the week, as well as dozens of educational displays that explore the most popular new trends for home gardeners. A bustling Marketplace will offer an array of take-home products to get the garden started. A complete schedule of presentations and attractions will be available online at www.theflowershow.com

The worldly nature of the Show will come full circle with daily performances in the Exhibition Hall that include African singers, Bollywood dancers, and a special Samba Saturday on March 6. Visitors will also stroll through a World Bazaar of decorative shops and an International Dessert and Coffee Bar on the Show Bridge, and an International Wine and Spirits Garden with free tastings presented by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board in the Show’s Grand Hall.

Admission: Individual tickets are non-refundable.
Advance Purchase Tickets
(can be printed out and customized for gifts):
Adults any day – $23
Students (ages 17-24) any day - $18 (must have valid student ID; proof of age)
Children (ages 2-16) any day - $13 
Family Fun Paks are available for $65 (savings of $7 off advance admission), and include two adult and two child tickets plus a complimentary one-year membership in the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Group Tickets (minimum purchase of 25 adult tickets) are available for $22 each. Groups may purchase tickets by completing an order form at www.theflowershow.com or by calling 215-988-8839.
Private Tours of the Show (before public hours) will be held Monday to Friday, March 2 to 6. Individuals and groups can make reservations by contacting PHS at 215-988-8775, earlymorningtours@pennhort.org, or  www.theflowershow.com.
The Early Morning Tour package includes one additional general admission ticket, guided tour, celebrity flower arranging presentation, and one-day Shopper’s Delight card good for 10 percent off purchases in the Flower Show Shoppe. Price pp $105. (PHS members receive a special $85 rate.)
 The 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show is produced by PHS and presented by PNC Bank. PHS has 16,000 active members throughout the country, offers hundreds of educational programs year-round, and is considered the nation’s leading authority on urban renewal through greening. The Flower Show benefits Philadelphia Green, PHS’ acclaimed program that restores neighborhood parks, creates community gardens, conducts large-scale tree plantings, revitalizes vacant land, engages thousands of citizens in community development activities, and maintains treasured public landscapes. As the nation’s largest comprehensive community greening program, Philadelphia Green serves as a model for cities across the U.S.
PNC presents the 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show. Sponsors include: Premier Sponsor Subaru of America Inc.; Official Sponsors Acme, EP Henry (Official Hardscaping Supplier), and Mantis; Media Partner WPVI-RV 6ABC; and Caterers, ARAMARK.
For more information about the 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show and PHS, and to purchase advance tickets, please visit www.theflowershow.com or call 215-988-8899.

PRESS NOTES

• For promotional photos, a history of international participation in the Flower Show, and bio of Jane Pepper, please visit the Press Room at www.theflowershow.com

• For behind-the-scenes information about the Show, visit the Flower Show Blog, Facebook and Twitter Pages.

http://theflowershowblog.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Philadelphia-Flower-Show/47166452169?v=info&ref=ts
http://twitter.com/PhilaFlowerShow

For more information Contact:
Alan Jaffe at 215-988-8833
Laura Hoover at 215-988-8836