By Ryan Rawls
The Philadelphia Flower Show returned in full bloom, transforming the Pennsylvania Convention Center into a vibrant celebration of horticulture, heritage, and design. Running from February 28 through March 8, the annual event, produced by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, marked the 197th year as the nation’s largest and longest-running indoor flower show. The show brings in 250,000 attendees each year. During its last day, exhibitors are awarded in three separate categories: Floral, Landscape, and Educational.
This year’s theme was “Rooted: Origins of American Gardening.” It reflected on how gardening traditions across the country have been shaped by generations of diverse communities. It also coincided with the 250th anniversary of the United States. Previous themes included “Gardens of Tomorrow” and “United by Flowers.”
Visitors were able to walk through expansive floral displays and immersive garden installations.
“PHS awards medals for all three categories of exhibitors based on different criteria to celebrate creativity and exceptional execution. Exhibits are scored and awards are given based on quality of design, horticultural excellence, plantsmanship, construction and craftsmanship, visitor experience, and educational value” – American Public Gardens Association.
Students from Delaware Valley University reaped the silver medal in Education with a display dedicated to Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist commonly referred to as the father of modern taxonomy. Linnaeus is known for creating the modern naming convention for organisms using their latinized names (e.g. Homo sapiens) and the hierarchal classification system (Kingdom, Phylum, etc.)
Best in Show – Floral “My Atomic Number”

Photograph provided by PHS
Best in Show — Landscape “The Unseen Palette”

Photograph provided by PHS
Best in Show — Educational Exhibit “Peter Henderson to Present: The Horticulturists of the Garden State”

Photograph provided by PHS
Interested in submitting for 2027? Registration began on March 6, and the PHS will begin accepting applicants on April 15. Click below for more information.























