Thousands attend first day of Philadelphia Flower Show

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) – A colorful and scenic escape from winter could be found this week inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center as the 197th Philadelphia Flower Show welcomed visitors from across the country.

For Benjamin and Nadia Mobley of Middletown, Delaware, the show offered a break from weeks of cold weather. “So ready for the weather to break and so this was the perfect way to get it started,” Nadia Mobley said. Benjamin Mobley added, “and that’s a heads up that hopefully no more snow it coming.”

The Philadelphia Flower Show is both the oldest and largest horticultural event in the United States. Matt Rader, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, said the timing could not be better.

“If there was ever a time that you wanted to come in and smell hyacinths and see beautiful, colorful things and feel like it’s spring, this is the winter, for six weeks it’s been so cold, but it’s spring at the flower show,” Rader said.

Held annually at the convention center, the show attracts thousands of visitors over its two-week run. Among them was the Willett family, who made the Flower Show a stop during their trip to Philadelphia.

“I came to the Flower Show 10 years ago and I wanted to come check it out again with these guys,” said Willett of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Seven-year-old Amelia and her 4-year-old sister Nora proudly wore flower crowns they picked out at the show. “We picked them at the store over there and then they helped us get our size,” Amelia said.

Families took part in activities such as catching butterflies and learning about gardening in the kids cocoon, while vendors said the crowds brought a boost to small businesses.

“Philly is definitely the most supportive. Everybody loves doing small businesses and makers. It’s just so nice to be part of such a big community of people that really support the arts,” said Erika Spadafora of The Kind Earth Witch Ceramics.

This year’s show also features a major America 250 component. The American Landscape Showcase highlights the history and future of gardening across the country.

“Interpreting what is the American garden. These are designers from California, Iowa, Rhode Island, and Maryland, so bringing lots of different perspectives here to the Philadelphia Flower Show, and this is your chance to kick off this big year,” Rader said.