As the Philadelphia International Flower Show kicked off their Hawaii: Islands of Aloha to the public on Sunday, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s President Drew Becher is pretty much Philadelphia’s man of the week. Last year’s Flower Show brought in $61 million to the Philly region and enhanced local programs like Plant One Million. Luckily, we were able to sit down with Drew for a few minutes to chat about the Drew’s favorite exhibit at the Flower Show, PHS’s wins & challenges to greenify Philadelphia, and Drew’s secret ‘green’ habit he’s been practicing since age 10. (Read the full interview after the jump!)
Last night, I visited the Philadelphia International Flower Show Media preview to check out Hawaii: Islands of Aloha, our theme for 2012.
Once again, I was blown away by the displays that all perfectly embodied Hawaii… Although I haven’t been to the islands for 20 years (true story), I was transported as soon as the orchid lei was placed around my neck. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society implemented a setup with incredible scenes, design & an authenticity which will impress all attendees, both old & new.
One of the most impressive changes is spreading out the main displays across the Convention Center Floor (versus in previous years, the displays are typically all on the east side of the room bunched together.) Also, the marketplace is rearranged from east-west (vs North-South Lanes), which will definitely give Flower Show attendees more space to move around and not bump into the usual crowds.
The moment you walk into the showroom, digital waves with turtles, surfers, schools of fish & other marine life lead you into the various displays… (See tons of pictures & more of the sneak peek, after the jump!)
Happy Tu B’Shevat to our Jewish friends, friends who believe in the Jewish son of god (Jesus) or any religion!
Luckily my good friend Steph enlightened me: Tu B’Shevat is the New Year for Trees to the Jewish faith, or the cut-off date to calculate the tree’s bday. (Find out more and how you can celebrate, after the jump!)
I’d like to give a special shout-out today to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society! Philly Mag did a nice write-up about President Drew Becher a few months ago, and they continue to make huge strides in the green community & beautifying Philly.
One of the latest efforts reaches out to youths – The Green Machine, a special program run by PHS and funded by the William Penn Foundation, is to deliver expertise and assistance to those who use and love (find out more, after the jump!)
Free Yoga? At the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Pop Up Garden at 20th & Market? Awesome! Click through for details!
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society recently decorated the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with Carousel animals that starred in the 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show.
9 creatures – including a peacock, camel, rabbit, snail, butterfly, dragonfly, and unicorn; were created with brought to life with a variety of plant materials – primarily with moss and coconut bark – for their re-animation that would (find out more, after the jump!)
On a sidenote, this marks Green Philly Blog’s 400th Post! Thanks for reading, whether it’s your first visit or 400th 
We appreciate all the continued & amazing support.
Hope you had a chance to visit the 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show this past week, which benefited the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society! PHS announced the Plant One Million campaign during the show, an initiative that will plant 1 MILLION trees in 13 counties in Greater Philadelphia Region, New Jersey & Delaware. The campaign will improve the environment, create jobs, strengthen communities & improve air/water quality.
This campaign helps to (find out more about this amazing campaign, after the jump!)
Another added benefit of attending the Philadelphia International Flower Show is a variety of lectures on horticulture, gardening and landscape design. Free lectures, presentations & demos will provide cutting-edge techniques & instructions for urban agriculture, green roofs, eco-friendly design and sustainable gardening.
Greenies will enjoy a lecture series, “Greensource,” that feature nationally renowned designers. Speakers for the free programs (Mon-Fri @ 1 PM) include (find out who, including for a house we all recognize and various programs to check out after the jump!)
Get excited all you plant fanatics & flower enthusiasts… The 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show is here March 6-13th!
From the moment I walked into Philly’s Convention Center during the writer’s preview, the glorious smell of Springtime overwhelmed my senses… (which was quite a delight after my rendezvous in beautiful Clearwater weather last weekend). As I immediately saw the base of the Eiffel Tower and nearby Carousel, I was practically unaware we were still in Philly! Philadelphia’s theme “Springtime in Paris” captures the essence of the city of lights, allowing visitors to enter a whole new, huge world of gorgeous flower displays & incredible settings.
Did you know Philadelphia’s is the largest indoor Flower Show in the world? It’s consistently ranked as America’s Top 100 events and is in the guide 1000 Places to Visit Before You Die.
Think I’m exaggerating? Just take a sneak peak at the show (and find out way more news, after the jump!):
Get Social With Us!
