Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia Flower Show

This past winter has placed long icy grips on New Yorkers. Winter fatigue has definitely wore us out!  When I found out that the 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show's theme was "Springtime in Paris", the thoughts of Paris coupled with spring colors and aromas provided enough wow factors for me to make a weekend trek to Philadelphia with my family.

The drive from New York city to Philadelphia was about two hours. Once we crossed the Benjamin Franklin bridge over the Delaware river, we arrived into the city. We passed by Chinatown and then headed towards the Convention Center on Arch street where the Flower Show was held. The streets surrounding the Convention Center are narrower than I expected. They were brimming with people, most of them heading towards the Flower Show. Driving down 12th Street and past the Hard Rock Cafe, we found that the garages closest to the Convention Center were full.  We managed to get an indoor parking garage spot about 6 blocks away at a cost of $8 and change for the weekend day rate. A good bargain since we saw some of the outdoor garages were charging $20 for the day.

The Philadelphia International Flower Show has been branded as the oldest flower show in the nation. As soon as we walked through the doors, we were greeted by a replica of the Eiffel Tower completed with lights. It was supposed to "twinkle" on the hour like the one in Paris but I must have been viewing other exhibitions and did not notice the twinkling effect. The convention hall was abounded with flowers of various colors and arrangement. Pink and yellow tulips surrounded the area by the Eiffel Tower. Beautiful flowers arranged in shapes of animals evoked peals of delights from visitors. Everyone was ecstatically snapping pictures of the beautiful displays.

The following pictures speak a thousand words of the ingenious creations of the floral designers.

Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia Flower Show

Many vendors were also plying their wares on the floor. I ended buying a wire flower holder that is supposedly versatile to hold flowers of any heights in any type of containers.  I took a picture of these demo pieces hoping that I can recreate them at home one day.

Philadelphia Flower Show

I also bought some "marble gels" that can hold water and can be used in place of soil for flowers and house plants. They come in a variety of colors as seen in the picture below. Anything that can make my house plants thrive effortlessly is a buy.

Philadelphia Flower Show

A salute to all involved in this year marvelous Philadelphia International Flower Show and a big aloha to next year Hawaiian floral theme.