At a press conference held on Friday at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) revealed new details for the 2024 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, “United by Flowers” including 4 artistic renderings offering a first glimpse of what the Show will look like.  

“United by Flowers” celebrates the colorful community that comes together to share in their love of gardening, flowers, and plants, and the impact they make on our lives all year round.  Now in its 195^th year, the award-winning PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is a world-renowned gardening event and PHS’s main fundraiser to support its impactful greening work that advances health and well-being in the region.

The event is known for its stunning visual displays, world-class plant competitions, family activities, artisanal crafts, educational offerings, and curated shopping. The 2024 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show will run March 2-10 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Tickets are on sale now at tickets.phsonline.org, with flexible ticket options starting at $29.99. 

“This year’s theme, ’United by Flowers,’ focuses on coming together and we are excited to be showing all the ways that we build community with one another. From exhibits that show off the celebratory spaces that unite us to offering a series of experiences that are best when done together, there is something for every visitor to share with their loved ones at the Flower Show,” stated PHS’s Creative Director and Vice President of the Flower Show, Seth Pearsoll. 

Each visitor who purchases a Flower Show ticket, attends a Flower Show special event, or becomes a PHS member contributes to PHS advancing health and well-being through gardening. Through planting trees, supporting neighborhood greening, improving access to fresh food through community gardens, providing job training, managing public gardens, and connecting people with horticulture, PHS helps improve quality of life for all in the region. 

2024 Exhibitor Information 

The 2024 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show will gather some of the most cutting-edge, renowned landscape architects, garden designers, horticulturists, and florists from around the world to design dozens of breathtaking exhibits capturing the essence of this year’s theme, “United by Flowers” For a full list of exhibitors, please visit: PHSOnline.org/the-flower-show.  

THE PHS ENTRANCE GARDEN 

The PHS Entrance Garden at the Flower Show will captivate with its innovative use of water as an artistic medium. Boasting the Show’s largest-ever created body of water, this glass-like centerpiece will showcase vibrant floral sculptures emerging gracefully, while a colossal aerial floral sculpture reflects enchanting colors. Seamlessly connecting water to sky, the garden offers a modern, refreshing vibe with bold angles and a kaleidoscope of colors, evoking a serene tropical sunset. Adorned with suspended floral clouds and petals, this oasis invites contemplation, and is a polished, vibrant blend of artistry and nature. 

CELEBRATING THE REGION’S NEIGHBORHOODS 

In an innovative approach to showcasing the rich tapestry of local neighborhoods that make the region unique, educational exhibitors will design exhibits inspired by the special characteristics of select neighborhoods. Saul High School will pay homage to its neighborhood Roxborough, while Temple University aims to evoke the spirit of South Philly’s Pennsport. The Lakeside School will honor the famed Italian Market and Mercer County Community College will celebrate the bond between Northeast Philadelphia and Trenton. Meanwhile, the University of Delaware plans to encapsulate the essence of Spring Garden, and Delaware Valley University will garner inspiration from the charming suburban town, Doylestown. 

RETURNING EXHIBITORS 

Apiary Studio – A landscape architecture, design/build, and experimental horticulture firm known for their use of unconventional building materials, unusual hardy plants, and adaptive reuse of urban decay, Apiary Studio’s exhibit “Right of Way” salutes highway roadsides as a unifying American experience. Shoulders, embankments, and ditches as encountered when pulling over on a road trip are in a sense a garden without a gardener, and the plants form a throughway unbound by state lines. 

Black Girl Florists – Created during the pandemic to seek community in the floral industry from other female, black florists, this nationwide collective has grown to be a recognized community that supports and celebrate black women in floristry. With their acclaimed inaugural exhibit in 2023, the Flower Show is thrilled to welcome them back. The collective will express their love and support of each other by depicting unity in a space where black women gather and connect organically — a hair salon. Set against a palette of bright colors grounded by nude tones, each area will depict the uniqueness of each florist and how their collective talent creates an atmosphere of oneness. 

Jennifer Designs – A floral event company from New Jersey whose owner and professional floral designer, Jennifer Reed, has over 20 years of experience translating her love of all art mediums into their floral form. Reed draws her inspiration from extensive experience, creating pieces that emphasize sculptural composition in design, and focused on items found in nature. Reed’s “Flower Road Trip” will showcase a larger-than-life United States floral map to express how we are all connected by flowers and gardening across the 50 states. 

Robertson’s Flowers and Events – A longtime favorite Flower Show exhibitor, Robertson’s makes its return to the Flower Show for the first time since 2020.Family-owned and operated since 1927, they have created floral designs for celebrations for generations. For their exhibit, Robertson’s will honor the geometric shapes that are found in nature and work together to create a sense of connection, like the symmetry of flower petals and the rings of trees. People from diverse backgrounds will gather at this floral table, enjoying the shapes of nature and the beauty our planet provides. 

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. PHS provides everyone with opportunities to garden for the greater good as a participant, member, donor, or volunteer.  

ABOUT THE PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW 

The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the nation’s largest, and the world’s longest-running horticultural event and features stunning displays by some of the world’s premier floral and landscape designers. Started in 1829 by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Show introduces diverse and sustainable plant varieties and garden and design concepts. In addition to acres of garden displays, the Flower Show hosts world-renowned competitions in horticulture and artistic floral arranging, gardening presentations and demonstrations, and special events.  

PHS PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW SPONSORS 

Exclusive Sponsors are Bank of America and Independence Blue Cross.  

Official Sponsors are ACME Markets, Bartlett Tree Experts, Belgard, EP Henry, Hendrick’s Gin, and The Sino-American Business & Travel Association. 

Photo Credit: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 

Earlier this week, I caught Edward Albee’s WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? at Walnut Street Theatre’s press night.

George and Martha have invited the young Nick and Honey over for a late-night party—and their lives will never be the same. A stunning portrait of two American marriages, this explosively comedic and profound masterpiece is worth seeing. Edward Albee’s WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? promises to be the most talked about play of the season!  

The actors who play George and Martha do a superb job with a sensitive topic.

Edward Albee took the theatrical world by storm with this celebrated Tony Award-winning Best Play.

Albee’s comedy was first staged in 1962 at the Billy Rose Theatre and went on to win the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play and the 1962–1963 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play. The play explores dysfunctional relationships and social expectations in a way that still resonates with audiences. Deeply invested in the tension between reality and illusion, Edward Albee asks audiences to investigate the role of fiction and illusion in their own lives. The play has been adapted into an Academy Award-winning film, banned for profanity, and nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. 

Bringing this masterpiece to life is the Walnut’s own Producing Artistic Director BERNARD HAVARD.

Havard’s Walnut directorial credits include Tennessee Wiliams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit; Oscar Wilde’s A Woman of No Importance; The Humans; God of Carnage; ART; Someone to Watch Over Me; Skylight; and Driving Miss Daisy. He has spent his life in theatre as an actor, stage manager, director, managing director and producer. Recognized as one of America’s leading theatre producers, he has proudly served America’s Oldest Theatre for 42 years. Under his leadership, the Walnut became a not-for-profit, self-producing theatre, and has gained international recognition as one of America’s premier regional theatres.

Havard is joined by Assistant Director MARY MARTELLO, fresh from her role as Mrs. Potts in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

Playing the role of George, a history professor at New Carthage University and host of the night’s soiree, is Walnut veteran GREG WOOD. Wood has appeared on the WST mainstage in Noises Off; The Humans; Harvey; Private Lives; God of Carnage; Other Desert Cities.

Returning to the Walnut to play George’s unhappy, domineering wife Martha is SUSAN RILEY STEVENS. Stevens’ Walnut credits include Neil Simon’s Last of the Red Hot Lovers; Blithe Spirit; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Noises Off; Fallen Angels; God of Carnage; A Streetcar Named Desire.

Joining the party as Nick, the eager new faculty member and husband to Honey, is BRANDON O’ROURKE. O’Rourke has appeared in numerous WST productions, including Oscar Wilde’s A Woman of No Importance; Peter and the Starcatcher; Oliver!; and Les Misérables. Making her WST debut as Honey, Nick’s childish wife and the fourth member of the night’s party, is ANNA D. BAILEY. Bailey’s favorite credits include Annie (Grace); Matilda (Miss Honey); Goodnight, Mrs. Puffin (Pamela); Too Many Cooks (Honey).

Bringing to life the tense, intimate setting of George and Martha’s home is Scenic Designer ROMAN TATAROWICZ. His designs have been seen onstage at the Walnut in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Blithe Spirit, Thurgood, and many other memorable shows. Tatarowicz is joined by Lighting Designer RYAN O’GARA (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), and veteran Sound Designer CHRISTOPHER COLUCCI (A Comedy of Tenors, The Humans, Peter and the Starcatcher). Wig Designer and former WST apprentice CLAIRE WAID along with Costume Coordinator NATALIA DE LA TORRE ensure that the partygoers look their best for this life-altering late-night party.

EDWARD ALBEE’S WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? runs at the Walnut through February 4, 2024. For tickets and information, call 215-574-3550. Tickets are also available online 24/7 by visiting WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.com.

Greg Wood, Brandon O’Rourke, Anna D. Bailey, and Susan Riley Stevens in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Photo by Mark Garvin.