About 20 years ago, Sandy Greenwood helped a friend bring plants to the Flower Show to enter into competition, and she’s been coming back, in one capacity or another, every year since.
Sandy’s own first foray into exhibiting at the Show worked out well. She submitted a begonia on the first of three judging days for novices, and it took a blue ribbon. The second and third days, she won second place and honorable mention. She was hooked.
Tropical waterfall
Burke Brothers manager Michele Rich says one of the biggest challenges this year is working with plants that come from a vastly different climate and environment, one that’s dark, lush and tropical.
Starting tomorrow December 1, the Flower Show Gift Pack will be available for purchase at the lovely Meadowbrook Farm.
A perfect present, the $70 gift pack includes:
• Two tickets to the 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show (plus the Shopper’s Delight discount card, good for 10% off purchases made at the Flower Show)
• A beautiful poinsettia* or blooming plant
• An attractive greeting card
*While supplies last
Meadowbrook Farm is a grand estate featuring a retail nursery, gardens and more. In April 2004, the PHS Council opened a new chapter in PHS history when it voted unanimously to accept the bequest of J. Liddon Pennock, Jr., leaving part of his estate, including Meadowbrook Farm, to PHS. To learn more about the ways Meadowbrook Farm is gearing up for winter, visit www.gotomeadowbrook.com.
Kick off a festive holiday season with a visit to Abington Township’s charming Meadowbrook Farm (where the Flower Show’s flowers are forced and groomed) on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 10 a.m to 5 p.m for the annual Holiday Open House.
Visitors can tour the historic estate, admire the seasonal decorations, and nibble on complimentary refreshments. For the young ones, Meadowbrook has prepared a themed activity:)
The Holiday Open House is also an ideal opportunity to check off a few people on the holiday gift-giving list.
This year we are partnering again with the PA Wine & Spirits Stores to have wine tastings AND spirits sampling at the Show. With the international theme- there are some many great things to try (full schedule will be posted in Feb). The tastings and store will be located at the Grand Hall, near the 12th and Market Streets entrance. Tastings are free with Flower Show admission. Must be 21 years old.
“Whether it’s your first or fifteenth time exhibiting, the Philadelphia International Flower Show is always a thrill,” says Margaret Hennes of the Spade and Trowel Garden Club. In past years her group has entered table displays, hanging baskets, and urns, and in 2010 they’re embarking on a new venture by exhibiting a front porch setting.
The 13-person team began their preparations in April, aspiring to create something bold and dynamic that would still resonate with the average homeowner. They first had to select a theme or motif, which happened rather quickly. (Note: Details of the exhibit cannot be disclosed to ensure its anonymity during judging at the Flower Show.) The next decision, however, proved to be a bit more difficult.
Co-chairs (L - R) Jane Owen, Margaret Hennes and Sharon Small
“We needed a place to stage our in-the-works exhibit. Unlike classes such as balconies or window boxes, front porches require a sizable space; the exhibit is allowed to be 12 feet tall!” Margaret says. “At first we were going to use someone’s basement, but the ceiling wasn’t high enough. Next someone kindly offered use of his barn, but without heating or plumbing it wasn’t practical.”
Just as the Spade and Trowel people were scrambling for a solution, John Swan (a longtime PHS member and consummate volunteer) stepped up and saved the day. “I was so touched that he volunteered his [14-foot-high] living room! We actually constructed the front porch over and around the sofa!” Margaret reports.
Next the team had to choose plants that would correspond with their theme and perform well in the tricky Convention Center conditions. Beyond that they had to consider color, texture, and placement. “I look for exciting plant pairings and ways to position certain specimen plants so they stand out,” Margaret says. Read the rest of this entry »
AIFD's award-winning exhibit at the 2009 Show
If you are looking for a great plant for the new year, check out the 2010 Gold Medal Plant Award Winners. PHS’s Gold Medal Plant Program has recognized woody plants of outstanding merit since 1979.
Try ‘Halley’s Comet’ (Florida Anise), a deer-proof native to the southeastern U.S. that produces 4″ long dark green leaves (similar to Rhododendron), which emit a strong pleasant odor when bruised. It thrives in shady, moist-well-drained soil and tolerates part shade.
For more on ’Halley’s Comet’, watch PHS Gold Medal Manager Zoe Ziccardi in this video. For more on all the Gold Medal Plants, visit the PHS website.
You can also learn more about Gold Medal Plants at the 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show. Look for demonstrations at the new PHS Village.
You may remember The PHS Village from last year’s Flower Show. The Village is centered right in the middle of the Show floor at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and informs visitors of all things PHS.
Well, this year’s Village will undergo a dynamic change for “Passport to the World.”
A new redesigned Village will offer a sampler of PHS programs, highlighted by two fast-paced demonstration gardens where visitors can learn how to plant vegetables, herbs or shrubs, design a small-space or container garden, or find answers to their horticultural questions. The 10- to 15-minute lessons will include children’s gardening demonstrations.
Walt Off (left) receives congratulations from his friend and colleague, Flower Show Designer Sam Lemheney, for winning the PHS Distinguished Achievement Award.
Walt Off, the veteran Flower Show exhibitor who runs the renowned Waldor Orchids in Linwood, N.J., has received one of the top honors bestowed by PHS. At the 182nd annual meeting of PHS Council on Nov. 10, Off was presented with the Distinguished Achievement Award, which is given to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of horticulture and has had a positive impact on PHS programs and activities.
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