Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Announces All Exhibitor Details for 2021 Philadelphia Flower Show

Flower Show to Bloom Outdoors for First Time Ever

Featuring Floral 75+ Floral and Garden Installations Spanning 15 Acres

June 5-13,2021

May 10, 2021, PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) has announced the exhibitor list for its 2021 Philadelphia Flower Show, “Habitat: Nature’s Masterpiece.” This year will feature the most designers, gardens, and floral displays in the Show’s history, with over 75 unique installations for guests to see and interact with, spanning the Show’s 15-acre outdoor footprint.  

The Show will feature an impressive lineup of 34 major exhibitors, whose displays average approximately 1000 square feet. Almost half of these will consist of the large-scale, ornate displays that the Flower Show is famed for. This year, these sizable and imaginative floral and landscape creations are inspired by the Show’s outdoor setting and the late-blooming spring season. The Show will also welcome 8 brand-new major exhibitors displaying gardens at the Show for the first time. These fresh voices represent varied styles and artistic viewpoints that stem from each exhibitor’s personal and creative background. From sculptural, majestic floral design to the usage of superb low maintenance native plants in innovative configurations and layouts, each garden design reflects a unique aesthetic that will delight guests.

For the first time in the Show’s 193-year history, it will be presented outdoors. Designers will take advantage and inspiration from the Show’s alfresco location in South Philadelphia’s FDR Park – a registered historical district – filled with beautiful vistas surrounding a serene lake.

In addition to the Show’s major exhibits, the Show offers dozens of additional floral and landscape gardens, educational experiences, and horticultural exhibits throughout the Show grounds of FDR Park. Visitors can learn more about plant and flower species with installations from prominent floral and plant societies or interact directly with dozens of smaller gardens that will provide beauty and additional touchpoints for interaction with guests.

Some key designers and exhibits to look for at this year’s Flower Show:Upon entering the Show grounds, guests will be greeted by the work of iconic floral designer, Jeff Leatham, Artistic Director for Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia. Leatham’s creations are bold statements -- using shape, color, and simplicity to produce dramatic effect. Known for his grand, architectural floral installations that utilize thousands of flowers, he will create Jeff Leatham’s “Habitat” presented by Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia. A captivating installation where nature meets architecture, this work will re-create the explosive energy and movement of overgrown vines in vibrant hues of orange and purple sculpted around the iconic columns of the Olmsted Pavilion, the iconic structure guests see as they enter the Show.

Wambui Ippolito is an established East African horticulturist and landscape designer whose style is influenced by her upbringing in the Great Rift Valley in Africa and lifelong travels. Ippolito’s show garden Etherea, is inspired by memories of her childhood years in East Africa. It is a contemporary re-interpretation of the moorlands where humanity’s earliest ancestors lived and evokes light, air and peace in nature. Ippolito is the founder of the BIPOC Hort Group, and an advocate for the recognition of the First Nations, African American, and immigrant communities' contributions to horticulture.

Patrick Cullina is a landscape designer, horticultural consultant, and photographer with a diverse portfolio of projects across the country with extensive experience designing, creating and maintaining dynamic urban landscapes in New York City such as the High Line Park. His installation will communicate that the constructed aspects of a city do not rob it of its potential to be a landscape that is both dynamic and transformative. Utilizing spontaneous vegetation that rises through voids within the urban hardscape, this garden emphasizes the role that plants can play beyond ornamentation — whether by providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife or by offering a host of other ecological benefits ranging from improving air quality to filtering stormwater runoff.

Balmori Associates is a NYC-based landscape/urban-design studio that produces green infrastructures that invite community interaction with the space. Balmori Associates’ garden design visually references the “edge effect” -- an ecological concept that identifies greater biodiversity at the boundary between two or more different habitats. Thickening and curving of typically straight human-made boundaries will create more interaction between living things, boosting biodiversity, and will allows for new relationships between humans and nature. 

Donald Pell is an international award-winning garden designer known for bold, naturalistic landscapes. This exhibit explores how we can intervene in nature to build harmonious, beautifully designed places that are integrated seamlessly within a landscape. Set inside an idealized woodland, a neatly decorated table, water feature, and bench beckon guests to come together among the flora and fauna of their own habitat to relish the beauty of nature and their place within it. The dynamic swaths of color and texture woven throughout evoke a sense of wildness while maintaining legible design and serenity.

Treeline Designz, founded by internationally renowned research scholar Iftikhar Ahmed, Treeline Designz helps brings natural living into the urban environment. Treeline Designz garden, “Dancing with Nature” green spatial and organic structure will be anchored by a bamboo forest that rises through natural vegetation surrounding reflection ponds. The muted colors in the outer landscape will lead into the inner peace garden, a relaxed setting for meditation and socializing, and a sanctuary for insects and birds. 

PHS’s Gardeners Green will take visitors on a journey through multiple garden “habitats” from a formal kitchen garden with parterre-style beds, to espalier fruit-tree tunnels, from an edible landscape to a greenhouse overflowing with seedlings. Each day, gardening experts will be on hand to provide visitors with a personalized experience, sharing ideas, solutions, and inspiration specific to each gardener’s unique tastes, growing conditions, and amount of gardening space. Guests can gain new ideas and approaches and get answers to their most challenging gardening topics.

The above listing is merely a sampling of the many varied experiences and artistic visions that guests can experience at the 2021 Philadelphia Flower Show. Exhibitors continue to be added, with more information available online on the Show website at: www.PHSOnline.org/the-flower-show.

Currently Confirmed Flower Show Installations
Abdallah Tabet
American Beauties
American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD)
American Rhododendron Society, Greater Philadelphia Chapter
Arrange, Floral and Event Design
Balmori Associates
Bartlett
Belgard 
Bloombox
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve
Burpee Seeds and Plants
Camellia Faire
The Green Room
Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society
Delaware Valley University, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Science
Donald Pell Gardens
Dorothy Gillespie Sculpture
Fairmount Park Conservancy
Fete Urbane
Flower Shop!!
Fresh Artists
From Blossoms
Green Mountain Energy
Grounds for Sculpture
Hartley Botanics
Horticulture Academy at Abraham Lincoln High School
Hudson Valley Seed
Ikebana International, Philadelphia Chapter
Irwin Landscaping
J. Downend Landscaping
Jacques Amand LLC
Jennifer Designs
Lakeside School
Longwood Gardens
Mark Cook Landscape & Contracting LLC
Nature's Gallery
Nomad Studio
Patrick Cullina
Pennsylvania Bonsai Society
Petit Jardin en Ville
Philadelphia Cactus & Succulent Society
Philadelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators
Polycarp Flowers
Refugia Design, Ltd
Renee Tucci Creative LLC
Stihl
Schaffer Designs
Star Roses and Plants
BLOOM curated by Streets Dept
Subaru of America
The Men's Garden Club of Philadelphia, Inc.
The Print House by Bok (Scout Urban LLC)
Treeline Designz
Trust for Public Land
University of Delaware
Waldor Orchids
Wambui Ippolitio
Wish Unlimited LLC
WRT, LLC

About the 2021 Philadelphia Flower Show
The 2021 Philadelphia Flower Show has been re-imagined for a new, safe experience in a historic Philadelphia park. This is the first time in the Show’s 193-year history that it will be held outdoors. The Philadelphia Flower Show dates are June 5 - 13, 2021, giving guests a chance to experience the beautiful vistas and rolling landscape of FDR Park. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted – one of the designers of New York City’s famed Central Park – FDR Park is an inspiring venue that contributes to the splendor that the Flower Show is known for, while also being easily accessible by public transportation and car.

In its new location, the Show will span 15 acres of the Park’s footprint, expanding in size to nearly 450,000 square feet of exhibits, activities, and open space, a 45% increase from previous Flower Shows held inside the Philadelphia Convention Center. Each year, the Show contributes a beautiful kickoff to the spring growing season and provides an important economic impact on the region of more than $62 million.

An increased footprint in 2021 is intentional, as the Flower Show seeks to offer new experiences for its audience, while also adhering to best practices regarding social distancing. Public safety is a critical component for the upcoming Show, focused on guests and staff alike. This year’s Show will feature reserved tickets for morning or afternoon sessions, with other health and safety requirements such as: maximum occupancy limits; required masks; social distancing; and strict adherence to recommendations from the CDC and City/State health officials to keep all Flower Show attendees safe.

The departure from the Show’s typical late winter timing will allow for a spectacular presentation of the nation’s most looked-to gardening and floral attraction. The early June dates are at the height of the gardening season, allowing for new possibilities for guests to experience seasonal flora. The early summer timing, the outdoor location, the Show’s new District layout, more shopping opportunities, and outdoor-centric add-on activities allow a safe, exciting experience for all ages. The Flower Show will also offer exceptional beauty and an increased diversity of flowers and plants, with the most designers ever showcased.

Each visitor who purchases a ticket, attends a Flower Show special event, or becomes a PHS member allows PHS to further its work planting trees, supporting neighborhood greening, establishing community gardens, providing job training, managing public gardens, and connecting people with horticulture and one another. Full details for the 2021 Philadelphia Flower Show can be found at: www.phsonline.org/the-flower-show.

Ticketing Information
Tickets are currently available for sale online. Tickets are priced as follows:
Adults: $45
Young Friend (18-29): $30
Child (5-17): $20
Child 4 years and under: Free
This year, tickets must be reserved in advance for either a morning session or an afternoon session. The ticket is good only for the guest’s reserved session. PHS membership provides discounts or free Flower Show tickets at specific membership levels. A special Member’s Preview Day is held on Friday, June 4th from 2 – 6 p.m. Member Premium tickets are also valid from Sunday, June 6th – Sunday, June 13th with a special members-only arrival time of 9 a.m., one hour prior to the Show’s public opening at 10 a.m. Reservations are not necessary for Member Premium Ticket time slots. Detailed membership information is available on the PHS website.

Flower Show Dates and Hours
The Flower Show will host 2 sessions each day from June 5 - 13. These timed sessions help to promote safety and social distancing. Session hours are as follows:

Saturday, June 5: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• Morning Session: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Afternoon Session: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday, June 6 – Sunday, June 13: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

• Morning Session: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Afternoon Session: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.

The last guest entry each day is 30 minutes prior to close.

Flower Show Health and Safety Protocols
The following measures will be in place for Show visitors with updated guidance provided on the PHS website all the way up to and including Show dates:

• Timed and dated tickets must be reserved in advance at PHSonline.org/flowershow or from one of the PHS official sales outlets at: ACME Markets or AAA
• Daily attendance caps will allow for social distancing
• Masks are required for entry and the duration of the show visit
• Cleaning regimens will operate on an enhanced schedule to ensure sanitizing of all public areas

All visitors will be advised of these measures and the need for self-monitoring of their health prior to attendance.

Flower Show Districts
This year’s Flower Show will feature three unique Districts that focus on the interests of gardening enthusiasts at all skill levels. Each District will have an integrated set of characteristics that include floral and plant displays; shopping; education; interactive experiences; and themed food and beverage options. The three Districts include:

• Design District: the stunning centerpiece of the Show that provides guests with a 360° view of large-scale floral and landscape displays
• Plant District: a showcase of plants at their peak of perfection
• Garden District: the educational area of the Show where guests learn how to bring new gardening ideas to life at home; Potting Parties will be presented by Subaru in this area

In addition to the floral, plant, and landscape displays across the Show grounds, other areas will engage gardeners during Show dates, including:

• Gardeners’ Green: as a testament to a historic public commons area, the Gardener’s Green space will showcase beautiful, creative, sustainable, and practical approaches to enhancing everyday living through horticulture – from front yards, to kitchen gardens, edible landscaping, even rain gardens. Experts will be on hand to customize guest visits, answer questions, and share techniques and ideas with downloadable subject guides tailored to plant lovers’ needs.
• PHS Members’ Lounge: this area will include curated selections from the PHS McLean Library for garden enthusiasts to enjoy
• PHS Shop: the onsite destination for Show-specific merchandise

Flower Show Sponsors
Flower Show exclusive sponsors are Bank of America, Independence Blue Cross, and Subaru of America. Official sponsors include ACME, Bartlett Tree Experts, Belgard, BloomBox, Green Mountain Energy, The Greenroom, Hartley Botanic, and STIHL. Supporting Sponsors: Fine Wine & Good Spirits, Pennsylvania Tourism Office, Ketel One Botanical, and Seedlip.

ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), an internationally recognized nonprofit organization founded in 1827, plays an essential role in the vitality of the Philadelphia region by creating healthier living environments, increasing access to fresh food, growing economic opportunity, and building deeper social connections between people. PHS delivers this impact through comprehensive greening and engagement initiatives in more than 250 neighborhoods; an expansive network of public gardens and landscapes; year-round learning experiences; and the nation’s signature gardening event, the Philadelphia Flower Show. PHS provides everyone with opportunities to garden for the greater good as a participant, member, donor, or volunteer. For information and to support this impactful work, please visit PHSonline.org.

ABOUT THE PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW
The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the nation's largest and the world’s longest-running horticultural event and features stunning displays by some of the world’s premier floral and landscape designers. The Show has been named “Best Event” by the International Festivals and Events Association and “Best of the Best” by the American Bus Association (for the fifth consecutive year) in 2020-2021.

Started in 1829 by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Show introduces diverse and sustainable plant varieties and garden and design concepts. In addition to acres of garden displays, the Flower Show hosts world-renowned competitions in horticulture and artistic floral arranging, gardening presentations and demonstrations, special events, and the citywide Bloom Philly! pre-Show celebration. Visit: PHSonline.org/the-flower-show

PHILADELPHIA PARKS & RECREATION (PPR) advances the prosperity of the city and the progress of her people through stewardship of nearly 10,200 acres of public land and waterways, and management of 500 recreation buildings, 166 miles of trail, and 250 playgrounds. PPR offers safe, enjoyable recreation, environmental and cultural programs and events throughout Philadelphia's parks and recreation system. PPR promotes the well-being and growth of the city’s residents by connecting them to the natural world, to each other and to fun, physical and social opportunities.

In 2017, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell, set about implementing the park system’s first strategic plan: Our Path to 2020 and Beyond. As a result, PPR is undertaking a period of historic change, setting the department on a course to become a modern, equitable and exceptional parks and recreation system. Visit us at www.phila.gov/parksandrec, and follow @philaparkandrec on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

FDR PARK –1500 Pattison Avenue and S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PAFranklin Delano Roosevelt Park (FDR Park) is Philadelphia’s iconic 348-acre park carved out of the tidal marshes in South Philadelphia. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1914, FDR Park’s sequence of picturesque lakes with adjacent lawns are connected by a network of carriage and foot paths. In 1926, the park hosted the national Sesquicentennial Exhibition and several grand civic buildings, including the iconic Boathouse, opened for the first time. 

Today, FDR Park hosts a playground, 4 baseball diamonds, a renowned skate park, a network of lakes, the Swedish American Museum, and 126 acres of woodland. In 2019, after engaging with nearly 3,000 community members and stakeholders, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Fairmount Park Conservancy published a master plan to reimagine a historic Olmsted Park to serve 21st century Philadelphians. The plan, designed by WRT, creates an ecologically sustainable vision for FDR Park that inspires investment, meets the needs of all users today and tomorrow, and focuses on resiliency in the face of a changing climate. 

Read more at: https://myphillypark.org/what-we-do/capital-projects/fdr-park/

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