Spring is still a ways away for Philly, but luckily the 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show is just around the corner.
The annual showcase is officially set for March 4 to 12, and will return to bloom at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. This marks the return of an indoor showcase, versus the past few years of hosting the event at FDR Park following COVID-19.
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society recently held a press conference detailing more of what to expect for this year’s festivities, including 5 new design concepts that will be a part of the 2023 Flower Show’s major exhibitions, showcasing large-scale gardens over 900 square feet.
And it all relates to the event’s theme for this year, “The Garden Electric.”
“This year, we’re working hard to create a cohesive and fully immersive experience for our Flower Show attendees. Design choices are intentionally being made to mimic the feel of being outdoors in nature by creating larger displays that surround guests, and our lineup of exhibitors is incredible,” said PHS Creative Director Seth Pearsoll in a statement.
Pearsoll continued: “Every exhibitor is creating a unique, spectacular interpretation of the ‘Garden Electric’ theme, filled with bold color and interesting design elements that will really captivate our guests while the promenade-style path ensures that all visitors can closely enjoy these stunning works of art.”
The first thing visitors will set their eyes on is the Entrance Garden design, which organizers described as bringing a sense of mystery and intrigue with its rounded, transparent, mesh scrim. The scrim portion will also conceal and encapsulate the space, while guests walk through the 360 design.
And speaking of 360, as a release states, for the first time in show history, several designers have been invited to create gardens that range from 2,200 – 2,900 square feet, the largest gardens ever seen at the event. This creative direction continues the immersive experience of the previous two outdoor Flower Shows, enveloping guests in a 360-degree floral world that can be experienced from multiple viewpoints.
Overall, the show will feature creatives from all around the world. But one local fixture, SNACKTIME, will be adding in a music festival component to the event with performances by DJ Aktive, artists from RECPhilly, Zeek Burse, and many others.
In its return indoors, and for the first time, the Flower Show will adopt the concept of a winding promenade. This guided path is a departure from how all previous shows have been laid out, creating a lush, self-guided experience for guests to view and engage with stunning gardens and flowers up close, as a release states.
The release also states that the exhibitor lineup for 2023 will place special emphasis on representation of garden and landscape designers of varied backgrounds, experiences, and specialties, offering them a platform to make their unique artistic voices heard. A full list of those who are participating can be found online.
Information on the full list of exhibitors, musical talent, marketplace, and more for the 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show are available at phsonline.org/the-flower-show. Tickets are available for purchase at tickets.phsonline.org.
