The Philadelphia Flower Shower

This year the theme of Philadelphia Flower Show is a tribute to "all things British". I was extra excited about this particular theme as a person who has lived in London for grad school and as an all-around-anglophile. I went with my mother, grandfather and aunt, all of whom have an extensive knowledge and hands on practice with gardening and the science of horticulture (they know what they're talking about). And we all had the same overall thought about the shows theme: "Eh, a bit disappointing."

I was expecting to see things like this...

Little cottages with clusters of flowers. Photo Source: Peter Barritt

Impressive amounts of rose bushes. Photo Source: WindyCornerUSA

Walled gardens and giant Hydrangeas. Photo Source: Everton Downs

Some inspiration from designs of Cath Kidston (shown) or Liberty of London

But it felt more like neatly planted flowers with something "British" plunked in the middle, like a phonebooth, or Big Ben, or The Beatles. So I wasn't necessarily overwhelmed with a sense of Britishness in the flowers. But hey, that's just me. There were lots of displays that I did enjoy...

 The Gates of Buckingham Palace were flowerfied at the entrance.

Living walls were very popular in the displays.

And my favorite of the day were the aspects of English literary whimsy with a nod to The Lord of the Rings and Alice in Wonderland.

Even though the show didn't quite meet my expectations, it's still wonderful to be surrounded by the sights and smells of the flora, and to know that Spring is right around the corner!