Sometimes you really do have to stop and smell the roses.
The 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show will pretty up the city March 6-13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Aside from the breathtaking displays of fierce vegetation, the world’s largest indoor flower show has way too many things going on to mention. We settled for five good reasons to check it out.
1. It supports a good cause.
Admission, which includes access to world-class floral and landscape designs, culinary demonstrations, family activities, shopping and entertainment, benefits Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s new initiative to plant 1 million trees throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and expand its City Harvest program that brings thousands of pounds of fresh produce to hundreds of families weekly throughout the growing season.
2. The real spring can’t come fast enough.
The theme for this year’s show is “Springtime in Paris.” Sold! Because, dammit, after the seemingly non-stop cavalcade of weather patterns that rained frozen icy hell from the skies, we want to be surrounded by the fertile colorful magic that will greet you when spring comes in the City of Lights.
3. You get to drool over — and maybe purchase — some exclusive bling-bling.
Award-winning Philadelphia designer Steven Lagos has created a signature jewelry piece for the 2011 Flower Show. Inspired by an art-nouveau silver jewelry box he saw in the famed Les Puces flea market in Paris (has everybody been to Paris but us?), Lagos designed a pendant worth carrying his name: an ornately hand-carved floral design framed by Signature CaviarTM beading. The collectible piece can be purchased at the official Flower Show Shoppe during the duration of the show either as a ball-chain necklace ($195), link bracelet ($275) or key ring ($250). Proceeds from the sale of the Lagos jewelry will benefit PHS. That’s two birds with one nicely crafted stone.
4. It smells damn good.
Competing with the natural bouquet of the acres of flowers present will be renowned Parisian perfume house Lubin, which is offering a variety of fragrances including one that pays homage to the magnificent Grace Kelly. The featured fragrance, “Gin Fizz,” claims to evoke the extraordinary beauty of the legendary Philadelphian. Um, sure, we’ll take their word for it, since we dig the name of the fragrance.
5. It’s also a fashion show.
PHS recently teamed up with Philadelphia University to bring haute couture to the flower show. To that end, show organizers selected 16 dresses created by students that will be featured at the show and serve as inspiration for companion floral designs. The dresses and accompanying floral designs will be rotated every two days, and it would be a shame to miss any of them.
Fashion further inspires the flower arranging with Coco Chanel as the muse for one of the displays. Designer Donna O’Brien of Beautiful Blooms, who began her career in the fashion industry, blends whimsy with elegance in a display of boxes that feature Chanel’s signature tweed and other textures, each blooming with an array of flowers.
The Parisian theme carries over to products available at the show, including French towels and linens by Garnier-Thiebaut and collectible pieces by Boehm Porcelain.
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society presents the 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show March 6-13 at Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St. For more information, visit www.theflowershow.com.