Timeline of the Flower Show’s International Highlights

June 6, 1829 – The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society presented the country’s first “exhibition of fruits, flower and plants.” The American Farmer reported in its July 31, 1829 edition that the exhibition included “Paeonias from China, Lilium longiflora from the London Horticultural Society, Strelitizia reginae from the Cape of Good Hope, Euphorbia presented by Mr. Poinsett, United States Minister to Mexico, The Green and the Bohea Tea from China, The Cream Nut Tree from Guinea, The CoffeeTree of Arabia, Sugar Cane from the West Indies, and the India rubber tree.”

The American Farmer: “If gardening be an art … it must derive advantage from study and experience. The society now established proposes to collect principles of instruction from every region and specimens of the fertility of the earth from every zone, to introduce among ourselves the native productions of distant countries. In immediate prospect, the society cherishes the hope of possessing a garden in which they may unite and cultivate the productions of every section of the globe.”

1933 Highlight of the Flower Show was the largest collection of tulip and hyacinth bulbs ever sent from Holland, shipped by the Dutch Bulb Exporters Association.

1937 Lord Aberconway, former member of British Parliament and longtime president of the Royal Horticultural Society, served as a judge at the Flower Show.

1938 Constance Spry, London flower arranger for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, visited the Flower Show.

1969 Theme: “Flowers Round the World.” The Show featured exotic flowers flown in from South Africa and Australia.

1976 Princess Grace of Monaco (the former Grace Kelly of Philadelphia) judged the pressed flower competition and attended the Preview Dinner.

Princess Grace of Monaco returned to her native Philadelphia for the 1976 Flower Show, where she judged the pressed flower competition.

1984 Theme: “A Trip to the Orient.” Masters of Ikebana from China, South Korea and Japan participated, including specialist Prof. Kazuhiko Kudo.

Renowned floral designer Im Wha Kong, of South Korea, exhibited at the Flower Show in the 1980s.

1985 Theme: “A Touch of Britain.” Robin Herbert, president of the Royal Horticultural Society, served as a Flower Show judge, and English flower arranger Sheila Macqueen, who created floral designs for the royal family, exhibited at the Show. Students from Merrist Wood College, in Surrey, England, collaborated with students from Delaware Valley College on an educational exhibit.

1988 Theme: “The World Is Your Garden.” Participants included The Palmengarten of the city of Frankfurt, Germany.

1989 The Niagara Parks Commission’s School of Horticulture worked on the entrance exhibit, with plants provided by the Ontario Flower Growers.

1990 The Garden Club of Monaco, which was founded by Princess Grace, collaborated with the Garden Club of Philadelphia for the design of an exhibit. Princess Caroline attended the show.

1991 Exhibitors from the Kenya Horticultural Society, Holland and Italy created major exhibits at the show. Smaller displays were built by exhibitors from South Korea and Spain.

1992 For the third year, exhibitors from the Liguria region of Italy created extravagant bouquets.

Exhibitors from the Liguria region of Italy created extravagant displays for the Flower Show in the 1990s

1993 The National Trust for Scotland collaborated with Gale Nurseries on the central feature. Exhibitors from Barbados, Italy, South Korea, Bermuda, Canada, and Mexico participated in the niche classes.

The National Trust for Scotland worked closely with Flower Show designers for this exhibit in 1993.

1994 Theme: “Islands in the Sun.” The Central Feature involved the work of Marin Alto Tropicals of Puerto Rico, the Barbados Horticultural Society, and the Garden Club of Bermuda.

In 1994, the theme was “Islands in the Sun” and included participants from Puerto Rico, Barbados and Bermuda

1997 The Show had ties to Holland, Italy, Belgium, Japan and Britain. The focus was the international exchange of plants, design ideas, practices, techniques and philosophies. Six women from Japan, all experts in Ikebana, created arrangements; a Dutch bulb field was staged by Holland’s International Flower Bulb Center; and two representatives from the Belgian Flower Arranging Society participated in the Show.

1998 Theme: “La Passion du Jardin.” The French exhibitors included Henri and Angelique Carvallo, the owners of Chateau de Villandry; rose breeder Henri Delbard; culinary expert Anne Willan; and the Friends of Vielles Maisons Francais.

The 1998 Flower Show celebrated the passion of the garden with a French flair.

A magical Hall of Mirrors was created for the 1998 theme, “La Passion du Jardin.”

2001 Theme: “Great Gardeners of the World.” The great gardeners included Penelope Hobhouse, whose exhibit was modeled after her garden in Dorset, England.

An Egyptian gate welcomed visitors to the 2001 Flower Show, “Great Gardeners of the World.”

2003 Theme: “Festival de las Flores.” The Show took on a tropical Latin-American flavor, with a central feature inspired by the African-Latin heritage of Loiza, a Puerto Rican coastal town. Show organizers enlisted the help of the Puerto Rican community of Norris Square for the exhibit.

2006 Life 3, a firm with designers from Belgium, Holland and Sweden, created gorgeous floral displays in the Show’s central feature.

2007 Theme: “Legends of Ireland.” Tourism Ireland was a premier sponsor of the Show, which was inspired by the landscapes of the Emerald Isle.

2009 Theme: “Bella Italia.” The Italian Government Tourist Board was a Show sponsor, and a Piazza on the Show Bridge featured jewelry, leather goods, foods, and furnishings offered by Italian merchants.

2010 Theme: “Passport to the World.” The newly renamed Philadelphia International Flower Show will take guests on a fantastic trip around the globe, and will feature multi-cultural performances, a World Bazaar, International Wine and Spirits Garden, and desserts and coffees from many lands.

For photos, go to www.theflowershow.com.

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