But Tom Covello and his team need your help in assembling the ultimate party playlist. Tell us which of the artists below is your personal favorite, or nominate someone else.

When you come to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, take a look at the leis worn by PHS staff.

Don’t expect pastel colors because these leis aren’t made from flowers. Instead you’ll be looking at the kukui nut.

Here is a photo of Aleurites moluccana in nature. Its native range is impossible to establish precisely because of early spread by humans, and the tree is now distributed throughout the New and Old World tropics.

It grows to a height of 49–82 ft, with wide-spreading or pendulous branches. The nut is round, 1.6–2.4 inches in diameter; the seed inside has a very hard seed coat and a high oil content, which can be used in candle-making.

Because the oil can burn for hours, the nut carries a spiritual meaning of light, hope, and renewal.

According to some sources we uncovered, the oil of the kukui nut has also been used medicinally by Hawaiians to help treat asthma, stomach aches, and swelling. It can also serve as tattoo dye.

A tiny nut sure can do a lot! Look for kukui necklaces when you come to the Flower Show.

The Secrets of Forcing Plants for the Flower Show
Wednesday, February 1, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Since 1982 John Story has been the brains behind the art and science of convincing plants of all kinds to bloom in harmony for the Philadelphia International Flower Show–in conditions and at a time of the year when they would all rather be asleep. John’s talk will be sprinkled throughout with war stories from thirty years of Shows. The presentation will be followed by a wine and cheese reception. Click here to register. Contact Carol Dutill for more information.

Tropical Plant Sale
Saturday, February 4, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Tropical plants make great houseplants and blooms and foliage alike are sure to brighten up any room in your home. Shop Meadowbrook Farm on Saturday, February 4 to enjoy 20 percent off amazing orchids, beautiful begonias, unusual cacti and succulents, carnivorous plants and more! PHS Members save 30 percent!

Meadowbrook experts will be on hand all day to answer your questions and help you choose the right plants for your home. You can also pick out pots—distressed clay pots, vintage verdigris containers, glazed ceramics—and get help pairing them with pots. Also check out Meadowbrook’s selection of fertilizers for every variety of plant as well as special soil blends for orchids, begonias, ferns, and more.

While you’re there, make sure to warm up by sampling some of Christina Maser’s soups like shiitake mushroom, white bean chicken chili and warming chicken barley. Soups, jams, and spreads will be sampled throughout the day, starting at 10 am.

Flower Show Behind the Scenes:
Tour the Meadowbrook Greenhouses
Wednesday, February 22, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon

How do all those out-of-season plants bloom just in time for the Philadelphia International Flower Show? The magic happens at Meadowbrook Farm. Join John Story and staff as they lead a tour through the greenhouses, highlighting the unusual plants being grown for displays at the 2012 Show, Hawaii: Islands of Aloha. You will see them first at Meadowbrook and learn the fascinating, intricate details that are part of this amazing horticultural balancing act. Light refreshments will be served after the tour. Click here to register. Contact Carol Dutill for more information.

photo: Laura Blanchard

Thanks to Mark K. we have a great photo of a big banyan tree on the Big Island. And we mean big!

At PHS we have a plan to Plant One Million trees, but I don’t think we’d ever meet this goal if we were working with these behemoths!

Will any of this year’s exhibits incorporate the banyan? Find out yourself at the Flower Show, March 4 – 11 , 2012.

The ever-clever people at GPTMC created this fantastic video that highlights the many great things happening in Philadelphia in 2012. You’ll see the Flower Show pop up about 45 seconds in, but that’s just one of the many featured celebrations, exhibits, and experiences.

Have fun planning the next eleven-and-half months. Remember to consult www.visitphilly.com when organizing your outings, even if you’re a local!

Ricky Gervais at the Flower Show? It’s doubtful, but it would certainly prove interesting!

In case you missed it, the Flower Show received a shout-out on Saturday Night Live during a skit about the outrageous, envelope-pushing comedian/host Ricky Gervais. See “Ricky” (played by Jason Sudeikis) ridicule an unsuspecting plant here.

Please note this video contains content that may not be suitable for all audiences.

“Our exhibit is called: “A Personal Paradise.”  As always, we like to ‘keep it real’ with our exhibits as to appeal to the potential client! We are creating a courtyard setting this year, complete with a 1974 vintage Subaru wagon parked in an entrance driveway! Subaru is graciously lending us this car, which I love! It is a funky looking teal-green wagon that is sure to set the mood.

From the driveway entrance we will have raised gardens retained in lava rock, stepping up through a courtyard style entrance of freestanding walls on either side. The walls will be ‘living walls’ (plants on the outside surface) and will also include a lit feature using a glass block insert—so exciting!

Through the courtyard entrance is the ‘yard space’ with a patio and raised gardens on the exterior of the exhibit, creating a ‘sunken’ feel. Again the interior courtyard gardens will be retained with lava rocks and feature brightly colored flowers and foliage, both tropical and regional to our area. We will have tall palm trees, pineapple plants (with pineapples), orchids, bromeliads, as well as scotch broom, yucca, cypress and other plants that will survive in our area of the country.

We are partnering with a local skate/surf/snowboard shop in West Chester called Fairman’s who is graciously lending us surfboards and other items to display. They also put us in touch with local surfboard shapers who want to shape us a custom board for the Show. We are also fortunate to partner with Hampton Cruiser a bicycle company in NJ that makes beach cruiser bikes! They are lending us a sweet bright-orange beach cruiser bicycle; I’m tempted to buy it post-Show.

I really want the feel of this exhibit to be “fun, living life, and loving life”—pursuing things that make you happy and coming home to a place that makes you happy. This exhibit will represent your personal paradise, be it in Hawaii or right here in the Philadelphia suburbs! With a little imagination and fun we hope to inspire the beach bum in all of us!”

Do you have photos of Hawaii to share? Help get everyone excited for Islands of Aloha by sending images and memories to aberezowska@pennhort.org.

Do you have photos of Hawaii to share? Help get everyone excited for Islands of Aloha by sending images and memories to aberezowska@pennhort.org.

“Foremost, always illuminate your tree with the lights plugged in. This gives you the best sense of your light coverage. Start at the bottom of the tree and work your lights in to the center trunk, in and out of each branch.

Do not wrap the lights in a circular fashion just on the outer branches. Lighting the full branch, all the way to the trunk, will give your tree additional depth and allow the ornaments to be appreciated in a more festive fashion.”

There you have it. Still in search of that perfect Christmas tree? Meadowbrook Farm has Douglas and Fraser firs galore for you to browse through, as well as a broad selection of greens and garlands to spruce up your railings and mantelpieces. These, as well as poinsettias, are 50 percent off as of today.

Thanks for the tips, Daniel, and happy holidays one and all!