History of the Philadelphia Flower Show
“The Flower Show” is a Philadelphia staple, familiar to local gardeners and horticulture enthusiasts. But this environmental event has also reached audiences far past the boundaries of SEPTA’s Regional Rail; the show which is held each year in early March attracts more than 250,000 people annually. Visitors are drawn to the large-scale floral, gardening, houseplant, and crafting displays that sprawl over the 10-acre venue. And if guests don’t walk away with flower and gardening goods from the marketplace, they are sure to leave with knowledge from the show’s many demonstrations and workshops.
Kremp Florist has participated as a vendor at the Philadelphia Flower Show for many years, and shares its mission to spread an appreciation of horticulture to all who enter the Pennsylvania Convention Center’s doors.
The World’s Longest Running Flower Show
The Philadelphia Flower Show was first held in 1829, but it all started two years earlier, when a group of 53 men gathered to form the Philadelphia Horticultural Society (today, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society). The members would often bring their own prized plants to meetings, to share their hard work and discoveries with the group. The practice became so popular that the society realized that they could use horticulture to bring entertainment and education to the public. So, in 1829 the Philadelphia Horticultural Society launched the country’s first public flower show, which was held at a Masonic hall on Chestnut Street in Center City Philadelphia. The first flower show featured the then-unknown poinsettia, which was displayed by the U.S. Minister to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett.
The Philadelphia Flower Show hit the ground running, and was held almost every year since the first show, except for 3 years during World War II. The show even attracted tens of thousands of visitors during the Great Depression. That has earned it the title of largest and longest running horticultural event in the world.
In the years after the first show, the Philadelphia Flower Show was held in several different venues. It moved to the newly constructed Philadelphia Civic Center, where it remained from 1966-1996. In 1996, the event landed in its present location, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, located on Arch Street in Center City Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania Convention Center has allowed the show to grow into the 10-acre, 9-day event that it is today. In 2021, the Philadelphia Flower Show was held outdoors at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park for the first time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While the show was a great success, planners anticipate a return to the convention center in 2022.
The Philadelphia Flower Show has grown in scope and scale over its 190 years. Visitors will be stunned by colossal floral displays, beautifully landscaped gardens, and many other individual competitions that fit within each year’s show theme. Show-goers can shop at the Garden Marketplace, enjoy live entertainment, educational workshops, and dine and drink amongst the displays. In 2019, the International Festivals and Events Associated granted the Philadelphia Flower Show the Grand Pinnacle Award, marking it as an outstanding event throughout the world.
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is a non-profit organization that produces the Philadelphia Flower Show. The group has worked for decades to better the city of Philadelphia through horticulture, and is supported by more than 300,000 donors and volunteers. According to their website, the PHS’s four primary goals are:
- Creating healthy living environments
- Increasing access to fresh food
- Expanding economic opportunity
- Building meaningful social connections
The PHS utilizes the profits from the Philadelphia Flower Show to support its many revitalization programs across the city.
Kremp Florist at the Philadelphia Flower Show
Kremp Florist has sold beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers at the Philadelphia Flower Show for many years. What started as a single stand in the Garden Marketplace has now expanded to several displays across the convention center and Regional Rail train station. Beneath the navy “K” you will find customer favorites like pussy willows, baby blue eucalyptus, curly willow, sunflowers, tulips, irises, and daisies. One of Kremp Florist’s signature bouquets for sale at the flower show is a dozen roses, available in almost any shade you can imagine; from classic red roses, to the more unique blue, tie-dye, or glittered blooms. Kremp Florist lets visitors take a little bit of the beauty of the show home with them. A stop at Kremp Florist’s fresh flower stand is a must for any Philadelphia Flower Show attendee.
This article was published by Chad Kremp
