This year’s theme took its audience through the movies into a wonderland of floral exhibits. Sponsored by companies like Disney and Disney’s Pixar, florists really had the opportunity to give character to their displays, literally.
Upon arrival there was a beautiful chandelier draped with hanging lights and colorful floral arrangements dressing the top of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Attendees pushed to take photos in front of the impressive picture perfect setting.
The show had multiple elements. There was a section of venders selling many different tools and flowers for those passionate about gardening. Vendors sold everything from orchids to outdoor statues.
Most of the show consisted of large exhibits. With the release of “Cinderella” being right around the corner, a grand dining table with white floral arrangements and a glass slipper center piece stood in the front of the Convention Center. Fit for a princess wedding, the display was breathtaking paired with blue lighting for ambiance.
“I would want this for my daughter’s wedding,” Tina Tuscai, floral enthusiast, said. “It would be perfect for a contemporary fairy-tale inspired reception.”
A princess pathway full of gardens inspired by Disney’s royal leading ladies was just around the corner. Each princess’s display captured the essence of their being. Floral arrangements were not made to look like their flower twin, but rather entice the audience to use their imagination with the subtle hints of their character.
Throughout the Convention Center attendees got to walk through make-believe worlds. Taking excursions through fantasy lands such as the Hundred Acre Woods for a pot of honey with Pooh, a splash into the mermaid lagoon with Peter Pan in Neverland and finally soaring high above Agrabah with Aladdin and Jasmine on a magic carpet ride turned the city high-raise into a whimsical utopia.
Lauren Smith, first-grade teacher, attended the flower show when she found out it would be themed around movies. “It made the flowers easier to relate to,” Smith said. “I could take the floral displays and connect them to something I know. I love movies and Disney so it was perfect for me.”
Lights Camera Bloom was an event for people of all ages. Not one gender was more represented than the other. It was truly a family affair. The flower show let guests forget they were in a mid-winter snow storm and allowed them to escape into their favorite imaginary territories.
The Philadelphia flower show is the longest running and largest of its kind. Whether gardening is a passion or just an appreciation of yours, it is something everyone should visit.
