Reflections on The Immersive “Gardens of Tomorrow” at the PHS Flower Show ~ Part 2
The Philadelphia Flower Show is just so delightfully “juicy” that I knew I needed to offer you my overview in two posts. This way, it’s a more digestible way to enjoy the full plate of displays, vignettes, activities, and garden plant fantasies that showcase the power of plants, sustainability, and innovation.
My sneak peek post covered First Impressions and the “Dirt-y Dozen” top things to see.
Here, are the best-in-class exhibitors that are so good they were invited to make encore appearances, as well as memorable future flower insights and cutting-edge inspirations that will give you hope and joy for the future of gardening. Please enjoy my overview and be inspired to get to the PHS Flower Show for its final weekend.
Flower Show Returning Exhibitors
This year’s Flower Show welcomes back fan-favorite exhibitor Jennifer Designs presenting an enchanting exhibit titled Welcoming Wildlife Home.
This may be/could be/probably is ~ all right it is, my favorite.
And the judges thought so too.
Welcoming Wildlife Home earned BEST IN SHOW. You can see why.
It’s a whimsical fairytale fantasy brimming with adorable critters and an elegant tablescape and plants, glamorous plants ~ plants galore.
Congratulations!
This immersive display brings to life a home overtaken by florals and wild creatures, symbolizing the harmonious interaction between humans and nature. Through a rich tapestry of plants and thoughtfully crafted habitats, the exhibit underscores the vital role of wildlife in sustaining a thriving, biodiverse ecosystem and how intentional design can support the balance of the natural world while inviting its beauty into our daily lives.
Robertson’s Flowers & Events returns with an inspiring exhibit rooted in the Chinese proverb, “One generation plants the trees, and the other gets the shade.” Robertson’s Tending Our Roots has at its focal center and heart of the design, a majestic tree symbolizing the world, with an intricate root system stretching across the display to represent the interconnectedness of communities. This design highlights the impact of individual and collective actions on the planet’s health, emphasizing the shared responsibility to nurture a thriving, sustainable world for future generations. The Tree of Life figure is drawn from a real-world park in Singapore focused on sustainability ~ symbolizes the efforts of the present generation in planting the seeds for a future filled with ecological and environmental benefits. Beneath the tree’s pink canopy is a cityscape where we can all bloom, where our roots connect us.
This heart-clutching floral fantasy is eye candy at its most arresting.
The colors and shapes catch your eye but the center tree is pure magic.
It reminded me of the sacred site of the Tree of Souls and its bioluminescent tendrils in the film Avatar ~ one of my all-time favorites by and large not only for the plants rendered in 3-D that jumped out to me, but mainly because the trees talked to one another and to the clans via their neural networks. The tree is healing, offers guidance and connection.
I also loved their mirrored-cut out at the front of the vignette ~ perfect for garden selfies. Can you spot me in my glittery red sneakers??
Renowned exhibitor Susan Cohan returns with Field of Vision 25/50, a futuristic garden set in a reimagined post-industrial space. Using recycled urban materials, including a repurposed water tower, the exhibit highlights water conservation and the need for shelter and shade—key elements for gardens of the future. This forward-thinking garden demonstrates how adaptive reuse can be sustainable, inclusive, and strikingly beautiful.
Susan earned the Best in Show at the 2022 Flower Show. We loved the outdoor show and Susan’s design incorporated all the sensory elements of great garden design: water, colorful plants, fragrance, and texture. It was quite a story.
Susan Cohan, 2022 Award-Winning Garden Design
This year, her Field of Vision 25/50 tells us a most dramatic story, too.
Susan and her garden team created a thoughtful narrative design:
By 2050 ~ just 25 short years from now ~ 68% of people will live in urban areas adapting to the 80% of existing buildings which will still be in use in 2050. Lack of water and shade will be overarching issue 🙁
Our garden imagines that previously functional industrial elements can be retrofitted to create communal greenspace. Recycled material predominates; a decommissioned water tower becomes a shady lounge. Rainwater is captured in a central pond for use in the gardens. An apiary provides a home for bees. Gardens are full and focus on foliage with seasonal bursts of color.
Apiary Studios, the Flower Show’s 2024 “Best in Show – Landscape" winner returns with Grass Stains.
The brief describes their creation ~
The gardeners of the future are children right now. For many adults our earliest memories are in a garden or some other elemental space ~ a field, a forest, a yard. Time moves slowly, edges are blurred, and forms are simple. Here, we distill the notion that when you are a kid, a small bit of ground can be both the foundation for imagining entire worlds and a place the mind returns for refuge throughout life.
The designers noted that many of the visitors remarked that the sight of clotheslines makes them emotional. I trust that’s in a good way!
The answer is a “Yes.” They remember a caregiver, hanging baby clothes, the fresh, free air to dry their intimates and clothes.
While I didn’t grow up with a clothesline for our family, I for one love the imaginative exhibit exploring the nostalgia of childhood and clotheslines suggest a refreshing, happy, simpler time. The Grass Stains display was dramatic and memorable. And thought-provoking.
These two videos showcase the breezy connection of nature and home…
And speaking of connection, The Nexus by Schaffer Designs represents the intersection of nature and urban landscapes; organic and synthetic; past and future. They point out that as technology evolves so does humanity’s relationship with flowers, positing the questions of will they thrive in new environments, merging with innovation to redefine beauty? The neon-lit skylines, floating trees, and futuristic floral creations show the possibilities.
The colorful expanse of Thanks for the Meadow ~ The Future is the Past by Arrange, LLC is a super artful and creative exhibit. The brief tells us a heart-warming story that inspired their design and will inspire all of us in turn.
This exhibit is inspired by a 2019 NPR story about a couple who, after moving to a small Vermont town just as the pandemic began, found themselves isolated. With free time and a desire to connect, they planted a flower meadow. Over time, the flowers bloomed, creating a bridge to the community around them. What began as a simple act grew into a symbol of hope and interconnectedness. The meadow proved that sometimes, it’s the smallest actions that can spark the most profound connections, reminding us of the power of nature and the possibilities of a more harmonious future.
My eyes could hardly take in the exuburance at the sight of all these colorful blossoms ~ enjoy here in this video.
Elysium in Chaos: Flowers Without Boundaries by the American Institute of Floral Designers shows us a paradise where Nature is limitless. This garden is a symphony of untamed beauty where towering floral structures stretch skyward, defying convention. A feast for the eyes and a delight for the senses, it is a realm where blooms flourish in exquisite disorder, creating a tapestry of color, fragrance, and unrestrained artistry. Here chaos and elegance intertwine, proving that true paradise is not in control but in the wild, breathtaking splendor of nature unleashed.
Future Flowers
Skyward Bloom, Lily Beelen, The Netherlands
First of all, I just LOVE aptronyms, don’t you? When one’s name matches their profession or occupation with such splendor... I think I first became aware of this in more than a humorous way by MIchael Pollan. He was giving a lecture at The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) where I was working and he described his fondness and burgeoning collection of “nominative determinism,” also called “aptronym”—when your name might influence your choice of profession. With Pollan as his surname and his then, ahem, “growing” expertise in all things plant, this observation gave gravitas to our work associates who held monikers that included a Ms. Bloom (a children’s garden manager), a Mr. Forest who, at the time, was in charge of the Garden’s pristine old-growth forest, or in my husband Bill’s world, a Mr. Lift who worked at Otis Elevator, or Mr. Bright who worked at a lighting company…)
I digress. In a fun way!
Lily, the garden and floral designer with the descriptive moniker, wrote the brief for her Skyward Bloom description:
This futuristic flower is an ode to the incredible ability of nature to create flowering beauty in the most difficult environment. Five crescent-shaped petals unfurl elegantly around a central pillar. Each seed symbolizes a glimpse of a hopeful tomorrow. This unique flower invites us all to imagine what the future will become, as both humans and flowers must adapt to a changing world.
Intermission, Mike Boerma, The Netherlands
Inspired by sci-fi and cyberpunk movies, this design shows a melding of organic an inorganic materials. It shows the outcome of a battle taking place in a concrete jungle, where nature reeks through. It’s a scene set between now and the future, because in my vision of the future, the future is green. Humanity will learn how to coexist with the planet and learn to incorporate organic plant material in its buildings. In the end, Mother Nature will survive.
Whew!
Brooklyn’s own Simply Nia Design ~ that I noted in my first blog post from the show, The Imagining of the Heavenly Gardens artfully reflects Nia’s personal journey that believes faith will guide her steps. The stairs represent the pathways unknown, looking to the sky and being surrounded by nature’s beauty.
Nia’s display is very well presented ~ and my kind of stairway to heaven ~ floating daisies! Daisies are my dear mother’s favorite blossoms and it just goes to show that Mom does know best… Daisies are heavenly…
Sower’s Symphony by Tissarose Floral was a hubbub of media activity when we got to this garden display highlighted by a floral-filled piano. It’s a space where flowers and music meet, their rhythms and melodies intertwining to stir the soul (should we also say “soil!”) and uplift the spirit.
Lankenau High School envisions a green classroom of tomorrow with their Bloom Where You are Planted vignette.
The students’ classroom of the future is rendered as a way of life, helping to shape minds in a sustainable future.
Here, the poised student spokesperson describes their design concepts ~ from using the fish water to feed the plants to the “green” topiary students. (Bill joked they must’ve been in the garden too long. ha!). It is very creative. And speaking with the students there is truly hope for sustainable gardens of the future…
Mercer County Community College focuses on urban green infrastructure, highlighting street tree plantings, stormwater management, and ecological diversity.
The Lakeside School imagines a futuristic biodome featuring hydroponics, tropical plants, and microgreens.
Temple University examines the intersection of reforestation and mental health with a reflective installation. They offer a place to “ pause for a refreshing breath … from a world in which we’re bombarded with noise and distraction.” They are suggesting a world where we embrace transformation, balance contemplation with collective action and cultivate communicating to celebrate the ephemeral, the evanescent, the magical beauty of the plants, and the creatures that surround us.
Delaware Valley University takes visitors Into the Clouds with a vision of 2150, where technology and ecology merge to create immersive, digital gardening landscapes. Here, the students suggest that “AI has allowed for access to places and ideas beyond what was once imaginable. From the comfort of your own home, you can fully immerse yourself in landscapes from around the world. Take a look at the gardens of tomorrow where plants pulse with digital life as humans attempt to weave ecology and technology into full sensory habitats.”
Having your head in the clouds has meant that one’s ideas are not important or connected to what needs to be done. However, Del Val University students show us they are dreaming big ~ and having their head in the clouds means they are paying attention to what’s happening around us. We need this dreamy practicality.
The University of Delaware’s Lab to Landscape explores advancements in plant breeding and soil science, highlighting cutting-edge research critical to the future of horticulture. You can “journey through the process of developing ew plants, starting in the lab where genetics are selected.” You can also see the greenhouse where the new cultivars are propagated and then the trial gardens where the plants are tested under real conditions; ultimately you view them in the landscape, promising that the new and improved plants are the future of horticulture.
W.B. Saul High School highlights the interconnectedness of air, water, soil, and human quality, emphasizing their importance in shaping a sustainable future through hands-on learning in horticulture through their Modularity exhibit. See how they re-purpose products for doable and practical sustainability:
Notable Displays
The Waldor Orchids Color Carnival is a roller coaster meant to demonstrate orchid breeding’s “avenues and trends” of the most popular Moth Orchid, Phalaenopsis breeding. Each roller coaster car shows a “modern avenue of innovation” with the ultimate goal of being able to produce a flower of various size, shape, and color.
This is a happy, rollicking reminder that plants make people happy. And the only kind of amusement park ride I want to get on!
Every year I find that one of the best displays is produced by the Men’s Garden Club of Philadelphia. For the Gardens of Tomorrow these lads have created A Land in TIme ~ a special award winner, celebrating a relaxing soak in an outdoor tub. The lush garden transports, reclaimed timbers form a welcome place to refresh. Rocky boulders and plants with bold foliage from around the world are meant to suggest you are in a tranquil and harmonious land ~ a land before time…
Irwin Landscaping Inc has skillfully designed Outdoor Living with realistic and doable areas for cooking, dining, and lounging. Unlike many of the fantasy gardens, you could readily order up this garden design for your home! They’ve divided up the space into garden rooms for various uses, including the shade garden provided by the pergola ~ complete with a welcoming tablescape; raised beds in metal planters for vegetables, herbs, and flowers, a green wall that encompasses a soothing water feature; screening plants for privacy, and stepping stones that offer a pleasant way to stroll the garden.
Rousseau Reframed: A Living Canvas by Social Ventures celebrates the French painter, Henri Rousseau and his renowned jungle paintings, using plants he saw at the Paris botanical gardens. The PHS Gardening display features many of those same tropical plants that Rousseau studied at the Paris Jardin des Plantes. Here you can also enter a Victorian-era digital greenhouse and soundscape showing the artist’s paintings to participate in their interactive plant and flower ID on the interactive screens. The exhibit also previews an upcoming show at the fabulous Barnes Foundation Museum ~ Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets which will run from October 2025 through February 2026.
I love the unique Barnes museum and can’t wait for this show.
Flower Show Activities
(see my first Flower Show post for another list of activities)
In addition to all the incredible things to see at the Flower Show, there is a plethora of things to do. From activities for children, to shopping and elevated DIY crafting and educational sessions, the Flower Show features something for all interests.
Know to Grow Educational Sessions
The Philadelphia Flower Show’s educational lecture series, Know to Grow, will return this year with industry experts leading presentations on diverse topics several times a day. Presentation topics include garden design, vegetable gardening, native plants, container gardening, shade gardening, houseplants, and information on PHS programs. Whether you are “plant-curious” or a professional, learn something new and walk away with practical takeaways from acclaimed experts.
New this year, attend Know to Grow sessions Friday, March 7 – Sunday, March 9 and hear from presenters sponsored by Great Grow Along - the world’s largest virtual garden festival. GGA is excited to be showcasing a curated list of popular gardening experts and authors sharing tips, ideas, and inspiration to make your 2025 garden great! Other Know to Grow partners include Fine Gardening Magazine and Timber Press. Free with admission.
Kids Cocoon
Families can explore the Kids Cocoon, a kid-focused play space where young visitors can plant seedlings, enjoy story time, and participate in engaging activities and live programming from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, March 9. In partnership with The Franklin Institute (TFI), Kids Cocoon will feature a Flower Show-themed version of TFI's Creation Station, where children can create floral-inspired masterpieces using LEGO® bricks. Free with admission.
Bloom Bar
Back by popular demand, Bloom Bar provides a walk-up experience offering guests the opportunity to purchase pre-assembled, fresh floral crowns in the heart of the Show floor. These gorgeous, wearable pieces of floral art offer a beautiful way for guests to grab, go, and wear -- showing off their floral best. A pop-up Bloom Bar Cart will be stationed at the main entrance with pre-made floral crowns so you can be decked out in flowers for all your photo moments. Purchase required.
The flower crown fairies told me they make and sell upward of 300-500 a day of these beauties! I can see why the “flower power” crowns are so popular. I even wore mine out to dinner ~ and to see how much joy and delight it creates is just so uplifting.
Potting Parties
Learn the tricks of the trade at these energetic container gardening workshops hosted by designer Tu Bloom, The Official Botanical Artist of the Grammy® Awards. These parties are engaging for all, and end with you taking home your very own creation to be enjoyed all season long. Purchase required.
Flower Show Events
NEW! Blossom and Breathe
Friday, March 7 – Visit the Flower Show for a celebration of beauty, wellness, and natural healing! This special event will collaborate with Honey Buz Natural Skincare and Noel Davis of Paris Fit, to offer Flower Show guests access to an exclusive community of wellness vendors in a botanical bazaar. Plus, visitors can participate in 2 yoga sessions led by Paris Fit featuring Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader Arielle Hunt, and experience silent yoga technology from Silent Philly for a truly immersive experience. Blossom & Breathe is a chance to unwind, connect with local wellness experts, and experience the calming power of flowers in a unique and transformative setting - the Flower Show! Event free with admission from 5:00pm – 8:00pm, yoga class for an additional fee
Flowers After Hours
Saturday, March 8 – Step into a galactic adventure packed with campy vibes, interstellar charm, and eclectic experiences at our annual Flower Show after-hours dance party! Immerse yourself in an iridescent celebration with this year's theme, OUT OF THIS WORLD! an unforgettable night of cosmic celebration that blends the nostalgia of 80s and 90s pop culture with futuristic, space-age aesthetics. Dress in your boldest, most eccentric and daring best, and dance the night away among the gardens.
The evening will feature: A cosmic dance party, alien encounter photo ops, galaxy-inspired cocktails, and a space fashion show. Plus, music will be curated by SNACKTIME, the live band for “They Call it Late Night” with Jason Kelce on ESPN, and feature an incredible line-up of DJs: Muhammad Carr, Lady B and Touchtone, and Val Fleury.
This event is for guests 21 years of age and older. ID is required to enter. Hours are 8:30pm – 11:30pm. Purchase Required.
Guests can explore all the Flower Show floral, garden, and landscape designs during the event and peruse the PHS Hamilton Horticourt plant competition and Artistic and Design galleries.
Flower Show Tours
Early Morning Tours
Early Morning Tours, sponsored by PURE Insurance, are the best way to see the Flower Show – sharing two hours on the Show floor with an experienced tour guide ahead of public hours! You will learn about our exhibitors, how the gardens are made, tour the Hamilton Horticourt, and get up close to spectacular floral designs! All Early Morning Tour ticket holders are allowed to stay as long as they like following their tour. Early Morning Tours will be offered daily March 1 – 9. Tours will run 8am – 10am. Purchase required.
Shopping
Marketplace
The Flower Show’s shopping paradise will feature a curated collection of vendors to meet all your gardening needs including decorative garden wares, garden tools, garden apparel and accessories, live plants, florals, jewelry, and home decor.
We’ve purchased so many wonderful things here ~ from the VegePod to my fascinators, and tools.
Makers Market
The Flower Show Makers Market features a variety of regional artists and their handmade wares; with 33 curated artists and makers selling artwork, jewelry, decor, and apparel.
I purchased hand-blown glass plant sticks from the Whimsical Wire & Glass artist: flamingos for me and daisies (naturally) for Mother. Wonderfully artful!
PHS Shop
The PHS Shop is your go-to place for must-have memorabilia items from the 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show, including t-shirts, mugs, totes, and other exciting items -- all with the 2025 Flower Show artwork to treasure long after the Show ends.
I got a sweet, red parasol and some classic hort postcards. If I lived closer to the show, I would’ve splurged on plants.
The Gardens of Tomorrow theme envisions the future of gardening, showcasing emerging innovations, techniques, and imaginative possibilities. Expanding on this concept, the art installation explores the evolution of horticultural and gardening careers through fashion and floral artistry, reimagining the roles and trades that may shape the world in the years ahead.
By presenting these forward-thinking visions, the installation offers viewers an exciting glimpse into the 2025 Flower Show and how the Gardens of Tomorrow theme is brought to life through its floral and garden exhibits, interactive experiences, curated shopping, educational opportunities, and special events—offering endless opportunities to explore, discover, and celebrate gardening
Nevertheless, all good things must end…
The PHS runs through March 9th. The final days are almost here. So get your Tickets ~ on sale at Http://tickets.phsonline.org
For more information on the 2025 Flower Show, please visit:
phsonline.org/the-flower-show.
For questions, please email flowershowtickets@pennhort.org
ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), an internationally recognized nonprofit organization founded in 1827, uses horticulture to advance the health and well-being of the Greater Philadelphia Region. PHS programs create healthier living environments, increase access to fresh food, expand access to jobs and economic opportunity, and strengthen deeper social connections between people. PHS’s work spans 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.
One last nature fantasy: Who doesn’t love butterflies? Well, in the Butterflies Live exhibit, I shared how one landed on Bill and stayed. There was another butterfly love display with this visitor and I was reminded of the charming quote that I’ve always held dear: “Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
―Nathaniel Hawthorne
